The clock is ticking to get your Real ID in North Carolina
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Photo: Courtesy of NCDMV
No more delays this time: You need to have a Real ID by May 7 if you want to travel by air, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Why it matters: After that, Real IDs or valid passports will be required for domestic travel and entry into certain government facilities like military bases, our Axios Richmond colleagues reported recently.
By the numbers: The North Carolina DMV has issued 4.7 million Real IDs since May 2017, spokesperson Marty Homan tells Axios.
- 49.6% of active driver's licenses/IDs are REAL IDs, per Homan.
- In January, the NCDMV issued 64,220 Real IDs.
Between the lines: The IDs are required if you're flying from Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Raleigh-Durham International Airport and other domestic airports.
- But Real ID is technically optional in North Carolina, meaning it's not required to drive, vote, open a bank account or apply for or receive federal benefits.
- Real IDs have a star in a circle in the top right corner, differentiating them from a regular license.
[Go deeper: Everything you need to know about Real ID in North Carolina]
Catch up quick: Real ID implementation was delayed due to "the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic." Congress passed the policy in 2005. The goal is to make driver's licenses harder to fake, Axios Ashley Mahoney reported.
How it works: To get your Real ID, you must go to the DMV in person and bring documents proving U.S. citizenship, your social security number and North Carolina residency.
- Find a full list of acceptable documents here.
Yes, but: Be sure to plan ahead, Ashley says. Many local DMVs are slammed and don't have much availability in the near term.