Do you have a real ID?

I hold a Global Entry card, for long enough that it has expired so I renewed it in 2018.
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Bottom Line: It is worth it if you travel internationally a lot. IMHO.

-Skip

I do international a lot (Europe and India) so it will be worth it by the sounds of it.

Its scary just how fast they find your record from a simple finger print scan...
 
With the last month I got my "enhanced" Ohio driver's license, that will allow me to board a commercial airliner. I had to bring a certified copy of my birth certificate, tax info (for SSN), proof of address, etc., get my picture taken, and then wait ten days before I got my new license. Two point five hours waiting.
Then I went to the sheriff's office to renew my CCW. I had to give them my old CCW and show my shiny new DL, and get a picture taken. No fingerprints this time, no other ID, and now I can buy guns in Ohio without doing the NICS paperwork. License arrived in two days. By appointment, eight minutes total time.
Then, of course, there's that nice pilot certificate that most of us have in our wallets. It too has pictures ... but not of us!
 
My KS DL was renewed a few weeks before the Real ID licenses started being issued.

I checked with my KS Dep o' Revenue: Real ID is optional, so you can turn in extra paperwork and get a Real ID stamped DL. If you decide to get a non-Real ID then in the corner where the stamp would be is a statement, "NOT FOR FEDERAL ID", instead. Fees are the same.

My DL has neither. I can renew my DL early, for the normal fee of about $26 or I can upgrade my current DL for an $8 photo fee and keep the expiration date the same. Since I still have a lot of years left, I think that's the route I'll take.

Step 2 is to find my passport and get it renewed, I think it's coming due in a few years, too.

---

I wonder if I can still find my first KS DL. Back in the day, it was paper and didn't even have a picture.
 
Yup, Massachusetts, a few weeks ago. No extra cost, just the ID bs, need to bring a 1099 with your ss number on it or a SS card. No copies. Of course I couldn't find my SS card and misread the instruction that only 1099s or a w2 would be accepted in lieu of a SS card. So I had to return, with a 1099 from 15 years ago as newer 1099s only use the last 4. Was a pretty painless process other than that.
 
Of course I couldn't find my SS card and misread the instruction that only 1099s or a w2 would be accepted in lieu of a SS card.

I get neither. What about a k-1?
 
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Oppps.... you meant real ID.... my bad...
 
I get neither. What about a k-1?

From the Mass rmv website, supposedly these are federal rules and consistent across states. Only one of these will work, my first attempt was with an IRS audit letter, wasn't good enough.

If you’re getting a REAL ID, you’ll need to bring 1 of the following documents displaying your 9-digit SSN:

  • SSN Card (cannot be laminated)
  • W-2 Form*
  • SSA-1099 Form
  • Non-SSA-1099 Form
  • A pay stub with the applicant's name and full SSN on it*
  • SSN Denial Notice with passport, visa, and I-94
*One (W-2/paystub) cannot be used for both the Massachusetts residency and SSN requirements. Two different (W-2s/paystubs) from different employers can be used for both requirements.

If you do not have an SSN, you should apply for one at a Social Security office as soon as possible. If you are denied an SSN, you may still qualify for a Massachusetts driver's license or ID card if you can meet other identification requirements. However, to prove that you applied for an SSN, you must present the written denial notice the SSA provided you. The RMV requires your SSN or denial notice to confirm your identity and to maintain your license and driving records.
 
The Texas DL has been a "real" ID since I can remember. It has barcode and a magnetic stripe on the back and can be used to authenticate at the airline kiosks, just like a credit card.
 
The Texas DL has been a "real" ID since I can remember. It has barcode and a magnetic stripe on the back and can be used to authenticate at the airline kiosks, just like a credit card.
Same here (KS) - but mine isn't Real ID compliant. It doesn't have the gold star in the upper right corner that says I showed the proper papers when I renewed it.
 
The Texas DL has been a "real" ID since I can remember. It has barcode and a magnetic stripe on the back and can be used to authenticate at the airline kiosks, just like a credit card.
My current and at least previous Texas DL have the barcode and magstripe. But neither one has the gold star. And Texas seems to use a really inferior mag stripe. It has never scanned successfully anywhere. Just being stored in my wallet the same as the credit cards, it has visible holes in the mag stripe. An elections official commented that about 80% of women’s DL they can read the mag stripe. Well over 90% of men’s mag stripes won’t read.
 
I just renewed my DL in Washington state a few weeks ago. Had to go in and renew in person (my wife didn't earlier this year, go figure). The clerk didn't even ask if I wanted the enhanced DL (which will be required next year for boarding airlines). I would have declined the extra expense anyway as my passport is always up to date. I travel internationally several times a year, so why spend the extra cash?

Global Entry is worth every penny. And if yours needs renewing, do so early. It will be interesting to see if I get approved for the renewal before I leave on my next trip. TSA Pre-Check comes with it and is great, as well.
 
My wife and I did the TSA precheck interview last week at DFW.

We showed up 45 minutes early. They took us in 5 minutes late (not nit picking, just giving the fact) and we were out in 10 minutes.

We received our cards 2 business days later.

We will fly commercially in April to LAX. We do not know if it is worth it yet, but we go international 1 time a year.

$100 for 5 years seems pretty cheap.
 
On a separate note, anyone signed up for global entry - if so, plus & minuses ?
No minuses, only pluses. I’ve walked past immigration lines 800 people deep without stopping. Saved me from missing a few flights. And it includes Precheck as the icing on the cake.. do it and don’t look back.
 
I plan on using the old ID and a "tribal document" option. I'm sure it's going to raise some questions at times so I'll travel with a passport just in case.
 
You will need real ID to board an airplane starting October, 2020. Your non real id driver's license won't work. If you don't have that you will need a passport or passport card. I can't wait for the new stories on Oct 1, 2020 about the poor slobs who "didn't know this" and miss their flights.
 
This was a big issue in the late '90s when it was discovered that Kentucky and a few other states were issuing driver licenses without verifying the person's identity. There were also states issuing licenses without photos!

When I was under the drinking age limit (19) of my state, NM, I conspired with a couple of friends to make a giant DL from poster board and cut letters and numbers. A large square in the upper left section of the board was cut out. Two loops were attached to the back.

After a couple of practice shots with my Polaroid camera to get the photo size correct, we went into the business of making Idaho driver's licenses. We figured no one in New Mexico knew what an Idaho license looked like.

Mine worked for a little more than a year, then the state lowered the drinking age to 18 so I no longer needed the fake ID.

:D
 
The card comes with Global Entry, but you only need the physical card for land borders. Your fingers are all that’s needed for air travel. If you only have Precheck there’s no card.

My bad. We did get Global Entry.
 
Oklahoma doesn’t even offer a RealID-compliant drivers license yet, lol. Current ones do have the bar code on it though. Precheck/Global Entry are great for domestic and international travel. Although, it’s a shame that we’re now “grateful” for the opportunity to go through voluntary background checks just to get through a line quicker at the airport. Big brother indeed.
 
I got it a while ago. It's called an "enhanced" driver's license (EDL) in New York.

It was kind of a pain in the ass because we don't have carrier-route mail delivery here, so you can't provide the two pieces of mail with your home address that the DMV requires. But the local DMV stretches the definition to include packages delivered to your home by UPS or FedEx -- as long as you bring the whole box. The reason is that they need to see the equivalent of a postmark, which is usually on a different sticker than the address label.

They also needed a SS card, birth certificate, and some other crap. I forget what offhand. I think my voter registration. They basically add up points until they have enough.

The reason I got the EDL early was because TSA was giving me hassles about my old driver's license, which had my PO box address on it. Licenses with PO Boxes apparently are not acceptable ID. (But they accepted my VA Universal Access Card, which has no address at all. Go figger.)

Rich
 
Here in Texas, I paid no attention to what the state government was doing about Real ID, and now I have one. No fuss, no money, nothing.

It's nice living in a state with a mostly invisible government. They get stuff done, and I don't have to worry about things like plastic straws making me a criminal.
 
Here in Texas, I paid no attention to what the state government was doing about Real ID, and now I have one. No fuss, no money, nothing.

It's nice living in a state with a mostly invisible government. They get stuff done, and I don't have to worry about things like plastic straws making me a criminal.
So you didn't have to bring in a bunch of documents to prove your identity when you renewed?
 
I hold a Global Entry card, for long enough that it has expired so I renewed it in 2018.

Plus: No long lines to re-enter the USA. Some of the Kiosks are a bit flakey (in need of maintenance) but mostly you zip right through.

Minus:
*Costs $100 to get the card.
*It is a bit scary to see how quickly the computers can serve up your passport information when you come through the Kiosk..... "scary" in a Big Brother is watching sense...

Bottom Line: It is worth it if you travel internationally a lot. IMHO.

-Skip

Plus exclusive checkpoint for the CBP luggage checkout (the last Kiosk before exiting to the airport lobby). The card can be used as a TSA+, real-ID and the only identify needed when driving a car through broaders (MX, CA).
 
Yes, I do, it's called US passport, surprisingly I found out small percentage of Americans have passports.
 
Yes, I do, it's called US passport, surprisingly I found out small percentage of Americans have passports.
While I admit mine is currently expired, the last time I was in a bulk new hire orientation, I was surprised that it appeared that roughly 10% of them used a passport for their I9 paperwork. I wasn’t expecting it to be that high. It certainly is simpler that way.
 
Yes, I do, it's called US passport, surprisingly I found out small percentage of Americans have passports.

I believe a birth certificate will work in lieu of a passport, or vice versa.
 
I believe a birth certificate will work in lieu of a passport, or vice versa.
Nope, I don't think so, instead of a 'real ID' you need a federally issued "acceptable" document.
 
Nope, I don't think so, you need a federally issued "acceptable" document.
Negative. To get a Real ID in most states a birth certificate and something (doesn't need to be federal) with your SSN on it suffices.
 
Nope, you misunderstood. The topic was what to use in lieu of Real ID, not how to obtain it.

I misunderstood too, a birth cert will not get you on an airplane, but it can be used to prove citizenship to get the real ID.
 
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