1 year remains for REAL ID deadline

Got a REAL ID?

Starting Oct. 1, 2020, Hawaii air travelers 18 and older will need a REAL ID, which means a Hawaii driver’s license or state identification card with the “star in a gold circle” marking, or other forms of ID to get through security checkpoints.

Without one, Hawaii travelers will not be able to board a domestic, commercial flight at state airports.

Transportation Security Administration, state and county officials Thursday morning urged Hawaii residents to get ready and be prepared for the new requirement next year.

“We want people to know there is about a year remaining until the federal deadline to update your identification,” said state Department of Transportation Director Jade Butay in a news release. “While there is time, we don’t want people to wait until the last minute. People should also be aware the driver’s license is not their only option. There are various other acceptable identifications that will work to allow you on a plane.”

While most travelers use a driver’s license, the TSA will accept other forms of identification, including U.S. and foreign government-issued passports, as well as permanent resident cards, border crossing cards and U.S. Department of Defense IDs.

Sheri Kajiwara, director of Honolulu’s Department of Customer Services, is anticipating an increase in demand for renewal services as the upcoming deadline approaches.

Driver’s licenses can be renewed up to six months prior to the expiration date, and an appointment to renew a license at a center can be booked six months in advance.

The average waiting time for an appointment at a center is currently about four months, she said. But once an appointment is booked, the processing of a driver’s license should be relatively quick.

Customers also can order an exact driver’s license duplicate with the star online, as long as all of their necessary documents — such as proof of legal presence, legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and principal address or residence — are already on file.

TSA, however, will not accept the temporary paper license issued to applicants until the plastic one is sent in the mail, which takes anywhere between four to eight weeks, Kajiwara said.

Also, residents may only have one REAL ID-compliant card. Residents must choose either a compliant driver’s license or a state ID but can no longer have both.

The new requirements are in place as a result of the REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, which established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.

“In a nutshell, when you use a driver’s license to travel, it must meet the REAL ID standards,” said TSA spokeswoman Lorie Dankers. “It will be proof that you are who you say you are. REAL ID is intended to improve the reliability and the accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards while inhibiting the ability of those who want to defraud the system from being able to do so.”

Dankers said signs have been posted at security checkpoints at airports nationwide informing travelers of the upcoming REAL ID requirements in October 2020.

“We will continue to talk about this issue to encourage travelers to act now,” she said.

IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

TSA will begin enforcing REAL ID requirements starting Oct. 1, 2020, at security checkpoints.

>> If used as ID, driver’s licenses or state identification cards must have the “star in a gold circle” marking.

Other forms of identification accepted:

>> U.S. passport or U.S. passport card

>> DHS trusted-traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

>> U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents

>> Permanent-resident card

>> Border crossing card

>> Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID

>> Foreign government-issued passport

>> U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)

>> U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential

To make an appointment on Oahu or learn more about the REAL ID requirement, visit honolulu.gov/csd.