The deadline for REAL ID enforcement may seem far away, but if you plan ahead, you won’t get stuck without the proper identification.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 and mandates state driver's licenses and ID cards to have security enhancements and be issued to people who can prove they're legally in the United States.
Starting in October 2020, a Washington state standard driver’s license or ID won’t get you onto a domestic flight or into federal facilities. That’s because those forms of identification don’t comply with REAL ID security standards.
After October 2020, you have several options to board an airplane that are federally approved. Most common are: an enhanced driver’s license, an enhanced ID card, or a passport or passport card. Find a full list of other TSA compliant forms of ID here.
The enhanced license and ID costs $78 for six years, while the standard card costs $54 for six years.
It takes two to three weeks to process enhanced licenses. You must provide proof of citizenship – bringing your old license won't be enough. You have to go into one of the selected Department of Licensing offices get the enhanced license.
Here is more information on what you need to bring to get your enhanced license and which DOL offices provide them.
Keep in mind an enhanced license can be used to enter Canada and get back into the U.S. by land or sea, but it cannot be used for international air travel. You could keep a standard ID and apply for a passport book instead if you plan to hop on an international flight.
If you are applying for a passport for the first time, it will cost adults (16 years old and older) $145 for a book. If you’re renewing your passport, that will cost $110. Adult passports are valid for 10 years.
Passport cards, which cost $65 for a first-time application and $30 to renew, can only be used for land border-crossings and sea ports of entry, not international air travel.
DOL put out a graphic to help you determine which ID is best for you.
Washington state started marking standard driver’s licenses with “Federal Limits Apply” on July 1 to be in compliance with REAL ID.
More driver’s license changes will come in September. Beginning September 4, all newly issued or renewed driver’s licenses and ID cards will have different license numbers will begin with WDL followed by nine random characters and numbers. This format helps protect personal information, because it doesn’t correspond to a person’s name or birthdate, like the current format, according to the Department of Licensing.
