Planning to stop by the Secretary of State in the near future to get your REAL ID? Be prepared for a wait

February 03, 2021 at 1:35 pm CST

Title (S105/Sean Hagwell)

Planning to stop by the DMV in the near future to get your REAL ID? Be prepared for a wait.

Drivers facilities across the state are still catching up after being forced to shut down for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now back open, people are scrambling to get in and renew their driver’s licenses, identification cards, and vehicle registrations.

According to Secretary of State Jesse White’s office, customers are asked to be patient and prepared to wait outside in various types of weather. This is due to social distancing, which limits the number of people inside a facility at one time.

Luckily, there is still plenty of time to to upgrade to a REAL ID. Earlier this year, the federal government opted to extend the federal deadline an additional year to Oct. 1, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Real ID Act, enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, set clearer standards for driver’s licenses and other government-issued ID cards. The law was also designed to make identification documents more secure to combat fraud and identity theft.

Illinois REAL ID-compliant cards are marked with a gold star in the upper right corner.

Illinois residents who fly domestically or visit federal facilities need a Real ID-compliant form of identification. Those travelers who do not present a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative beginning Oct. 1, 2021, will not be permitted through the security checkpoint.

However, current Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports, military bases and secure federal facilities until the extended deadline.

If you are traveling internationally you will still need your passport, according to the United States Department of Homeland Security.

For more information about the REAL ID, visit https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/.

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