NYS driver's license "Not for federal purposes"

[Dr. O]

My E-DL has been working perfectly and allows me/us to use the domestic airlines, cross the borders with cooperating countries, yadda, yadda.
It required me to produce certified copies of birth certificate, photo ID from a government agency, current utility bill to prove the claimed residential address was valid, and my SSI to do a search for tax liens.
Painless really, took maybe 2 minutes total.
Now on the Star - gosh, I feel like a second class citizen being forced to wear a star instead of a Flag. At least, it's not yellow

An interesting aside (interesting to me at least) is that I have/had been traveling in/out of Canada on my boat with a simple phone call (until the lock down obviously) but I needed an E-DL to cross in my car.
Ah yes, the wonders of bureaucracy.

 

[MacFly]

The U.S. Card Passport has limitations for foreign travel.

• They cannot be used for international air travel.
• They may only be used for entering the U.S. at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean, and Bermuda.

View attachment 88424

Yes. If you do international travel, you'll need a passport book in addition to the passport card. A passport book works fine for Federally-acceptable ID, but it's kind of awkward to carry and a real hassle if you lose it. I keep my passport in the safe and the passport card in my wallet with my driver's license, pilot's license, drone license, and gun permit. (and Costco membership card).

I got the passport card because Minnesota was really dragging its feet on the "Real ID" compliance. As it turns out, they kept pushing the Real ID deadline back so ultimately it wouldn't have been an issue except for the hassles of birth certificate, utility bill, etc. when you apply, and not all driver's license places can do an Enhanced DL application. I had to renew my passport anyway (online) ....getting the passport card in addition to the passport book was just a matter of checking a box and sending an additional $30.

 

[Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe]

Went to yea olde Secretary of State office (Michigan version of DMV) to get my "real" ID. Had all of the paperwork requested. All of it. After the usual 90 minute wait, I get to the counter, lady enters my stuff and tells me that I am not in some data base. Apparently I was never born? (According to my birth certificate, I was born in Detroit, so it wasn't even out of state...) She had to send the stuff out to get an exception approved. Another 30 minute wait. Approved. What an effing joke.

 

[wsuffa]

Well they partially blew smoke up your ***.
This is precisely why US states should have NOT been granted the ability to issue official documents that identify nationality. I’ve seen a Michigan EDL (enhanced driver license) that that issued to a 100% foreign national by ERROR. The DMV nitwit thought that a LPR/Green Card/I-551 holder was a legit US Citizen. I digress...
If you want to use your “star” Real ID compliant document to board a domestic flight then you’ll be fine. If you attempt to cross into Canadia with that (when the border reopens to Yankees), then they’ll laugh you out of the inspection area. You’ll need the “flag” and the MRZ/RFID chip in the ID if you want to use your DL as your sole ID. I’ll be honest I don’t know if these Reál ID’a have the chips in them but they sure do not have the MRZ (machine readable zone).
On a side note, when I attempted to get a Reál ID drivers license I showed my NEXUS Trusted Traveler Card (USA), issued by DHS/CBP, and the Michigan DMV lady said it wasn’t an allowed document. Wtf.

Please don’t get me started on Indian tribal ID’s omg... (poloroid photo of a man while hold a beer, wearing sunglasses, etc). Oh by the way the Indians are basically exempt from the Reál ID thing. So are the Old Order Amish.

To be fair, some of the Feds aren't much better. Especially the TSA. I was in line behind someone at TSA who presented a New Mexico driver license - TSA document checker demanded a passport because "that's a foreign country, just part of Mexico". True story.

And Washington DC had to change their driver licenses because a lot of TSA screeners didn't understand where Washington, District of Columbia is. So the new licenses read Washington DC. Too many people from DC had been "detained" (really, delayed) at airport security.

The U.S. Card Passport has limitations for foreign travel.

• They cannot be used for international air travel.
• They may only be used for entering the U.S. at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean, and Bermuda.

View attachment 88424

But you CAN have both. I do. I use the passport card as primary ID at TSA. It's like $40 more to have both, over the 10 year valid period it's cheaper than replacing a driving license with a Real ID. Works fine at land borders.

 

[Stan Cooper]

But you CAN have both. I do. I use the passport card as primary ID at TSA. It's like $40 more to have both, over the 10 year valid period it's cheaper than replacing a driving license with a Real ID. Works fine at land borders.

Of course you you can; no argument. I have both (passport book and passport card) and I have California Real ID. My only point was that folks getting the card only have limitations, especially for international flights, and I've found the Real ID driver license that slips conveniently in my wallet is easier than carrying and worrying about a passport book. For foreign trips where I'll be crossing multiple international borders and need visas I take the book.

 

[wsuffa]

Of course you you can; no argument. I have both (passport book and passport card) and I have California Real ID. My only point was that folks getting the card only have limitations, especially for international flights, and I've found the Real ID driver license that slips conveniently in my wallet is easier than carrying and worrying about a passport book. For foreign trips where I'll be crossing multiple international borders and need visas I take the book.

Yeah, I get it. I use the passport card as ID because it doesn't have my address on it. The document checker at the TSA doesn't need that and if for some reason I lose the card, I still have the driver license (which is now a Real ID license as I had to renew it this year). I use the book for international travel in part because the card is not registered with the trusted traveler (Global Entry) system, but I do carry the card for international travel "just in case" the book gets lost and I have to get an emergency replacement.

 

[ARFlyer]

I gave my state the middle finger on the Real ID version after they screwed it up twice and said my paperwork was wrong another time. I don’t use my DL for TSA anyway so it doesn’t really affect me.

I had a good laugh with a level headed TSA manager a year or so ago. This topic came up at a meeting and I said “so my four Federally Issued IDs and my Airport SIDA ID won’t vouch for me like my DL will?!??”. He got the point and agreed.

 

[Archer Jack]

NJ has the same problem. They've dumbed down the ID requirements for issuing a drivers license to the point where a standard NJ license is of no more use as an ID than an expired Blockbuster Video card. It's almost to the point where you can walk into Motor Vehicles to register as a voter, and they'll hand you a license as a parting gift.

So I'm also waiting for an opportunity to get a Real ID, acceptable for commercial air travel. In the meantime, I know my passport will work perfectly well, but I figure it's just a matter of time before I forget to bring it with me to the airport, and I'd rather avoid that scenario.

You mean my Blockbuster Video card no longer works!!?? No wonder I'm having such a hard time renting decent movies for my VCR!!! Next thing you know they'll be telling everybody to put ADSB in their planes.

 

[Ghery]

Washington state is the same way. I renewed my license last year and the clerk didn't even ask if I wanted the enhanced license that works for the drones at TSA. I would have declined if he did. I just use my passport, but my global entry card is supposed to be adequate, as well. Maybe I'll give that a try in October if our trip to Mexico doesn't get cancelled first.