Online services can help customers save time and save a trip to the driver license center.
Harrisburg, PA – As college students head back to campus for the fall semester, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) reminds young drivers and their families to prepare now if they may need to fly domestically for internships, job interviews, holiday travel, or other life events.
REAL ID enforcement is now in effect, which means a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card, or another form of federally-accepted identification, like a valid U.S. passport, is required to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Currently, about 21% of driver licenses and photo IDs issued to people between the ages of 17 to 22 are REAL IDs. Overall, more than 32% of driver license and photo ID holders in Pennsylvanians have a REAL ID.
“With the school year just about to start and the holiday season quickly approaching, it’s a great time for students and their families to determine whether a REAL ID is right for them,” said PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services Deputy Secretary Kara Templeton. “We encourage students not to wait until they’re booking a flight for an internship or holiday travel to think about REAL ID. If you think you might need to fly domestically in the next few months and you don’t have a REAL ID, visit our website today to learn more.”
Students who received their first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit, or photo ID card after September 5, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documents on file with PennDOT. Customer’s can visit PennDOT’s website and complete the online pre-verification form. If they are eligible, customers may be able to order their REAL ID product online and receive it by mail within 15 business days.
In addition to REAL ID pre-verification, PennDOT offers many other services online, 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help people save time and skip the line when centers are busy. Those services include non-commercial driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history records; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license, photo ID and camera card duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.
Customers can access online services anytime on PennDOT’s website.
REAL IDs are a permanent part of PennDOT’s services. Pennsylvanians can determine if a REAL ID is right for them by visiting PennDOT’s REAL ID online wizard. Visit pa.gov/REALID for information on how to get a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card today.
Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify the below documents to issue a REAL ID:
- Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
- Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display currently legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
- Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver's license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
- Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by your county's family court.
- Note: If current name is the same as what is reflected on the proof of identity document (usually birth certificate or passport), proof of legal name change does not need to be shown.
More information about REAL ID document requirements can be found on PennDOT’s REAL ID website.
When a customer gets their first REAL ID, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee. Visit PennDOT’s website for a complete list of fees. The expiration date of a person’s initial REAL ID will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won't lose time that they've already paid for. After the initial REAL ID is issued, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond the regular renewal fees for future renewals of the product.
If a customer can’t get their REAL ID through pre-verification, they may obtain a REAL ID by:
- Applying for REAL ID at one of PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID Centers and receive it over the counter at the time of service.
- Applying for REAL ID at a PennDOT driver license center and receive it in the mail within 15 days.
For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, please visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website and click on Find a Location.
For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.
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MEDIA CONTACT: Aimee Inama, ainama@pa.gov or 717-787-0485
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