Starting May 7 all U.S. flyers will need a real ID to get through security and federal buildings. Aimee Inama, PennDOT’s spokesperson joined The Spark to share what we need to know before the deadline.

Asia: Okay, so let's start with the basics. What exactly is the real ID and why was it introduced?

Aimee: A real ID is a federally acceptable photo ID or driver's license. And it's a convenient way for people to use to fly domestically, enter certain federal buildings that require a federally acceptable ID or military bases. The federal government set a deadline of May 7th for the enforcement of the of the Real ID Act. and it is a federal act. So in Pennsylvania, real ID is optional. And what that means is Pennsylvanians can choose whether or not they want to get a real ID. So they can say, I'm gonna get the real ID and they'll be set. Or they need to have another form of federally acceptable ID, such as a passport on or after May 7th to do, to fly domestically enter certain federal facilities, as well as military bases.

Asia: What are the key differences between a standard Pennsylvania driver's license and Real ID?

Aimee: You do have to do this anyway for a regular driver's license as well. You have to show certain documentation. But for a real idea, you need to show proof of identity, which is in the form of a birth certificate or a valid passport. You have to show proof of social security number, which could your social security card or a W -2. And the key is that proof of social security number has to show all nine digits. You do have to show two proofs of Pennsylvania residency. So that could be a driver's license, a vehicle registration, utility bill, something like that. And you also need to show proof of legal name change if you had one. And all of those documents are on our website so people can see the list of the acceptable documents that we take.

Asia: Who needs to get a real ID and is it mandatory for all Pennsylvanians?

Aimee: In Pennsylvania, it's optional, so that means you Pennsylvanians can choose whether or not they want to get a real ID. So, we have a little quiz on our website, so people should go to that quiz, take it, and that will determine whether or not a real ID is right for them. So, and like I had mentioned before, a real ID is needed in order to... It's a convenient way for people to fly domestically, enter certain federal buildings that require a federally acceptable ID. or inter -military bases. So, and like I said, in Pennsylvania, it's optional. So that means if you don't want a real ID, you just need another federally acceptable ID, which is a passport. So, if you don't have a real ID and you wanna fly domestically and you have a passport.

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