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Drivers License with Star: REAL ID-Compliant Identification Required for US Travel in 2020 | Mario Godoy | Chicago Immigration Lawyer | Immigration Simplified | Mario Godoy | Chicago Immigration Lawyer | Godoy Law Firm

REAL ID-Compliant Identification Required for US Travel in 2020

Starting October 1, 2020, travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, US passport, US military ID or other accepted identification to fly within the United States.

Many US travelers use their driver’s license as their form of identification. The Department of Homeland Security reported that 47 out of 50 states are currently REAL ID compliant, up from January of 2017, when only 26 states were REAL ID compliant. However, only 27% of Americans have been issued a REAL ID. Many Americans have a valid drivers license that was issued before their state’s REAL ID license was put into effect, and have no idea that their driver’s license will not allow them to travel by air, train or water or for any other United States travel where an ID is required.

Steps to Obtain a REAL ID

The see if your state driver’s license or identification card is REAL ID-compliant check if there’s a star in the upper right-hand corner. Some state departments of motor vehicles confirm REAL ID status online. (photo from DHS website)

To get a REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license, the US Department of Homeland Security requires applicants to provide documentation that shows their full legal name, their date of birth, their Social Security Number, two proofs of address of principal residence and lawful status. Each state may impose additional identification requirements.

REAL ID and TSA Pre-Check are 2 of the 9/11 Commission’s travel safety recommendations to the federal government.

REAL ID Approved Travel Documents

• REAL ID-compliant state driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards
• US passport
• US passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• US Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• US Merchant Mariner Credential
TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States.
If you have a question about immigration, contact the Mario Godoy and the immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Chicago, Illinois.  
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