The deadline to have a Real ID is May 7th.
Only 26% of Pennsylvania driver’s license and state ID holders have upgraded to a Real ID, and the May 7th deadline is rapidly approaching.
A Real ID will be required for domestic flights soon. Without one, passengers will need to have a valid passport to fly domestically. Entry to some federal buildings, such as courthouses and military bases, will also require a Real ID.
In March, more than 122,700 Pennsylvania residents got their Real ID. According to PennDOT, this is nearly twice the number of upgrades seen in February. However, Pennsylvania does not offer Real ID appointments.
Those seeking to upgrade their driver’s license to a Real ID that received their license after September 2003 need to complete a pre-verification document check and fill out an online application. The Real ID will arrive at least 15 business days later in the mail.
Alternatively, residents trying to obtain a Real ID can get one after their documents are verified at one of the state’s 15 same-day locations.
PennDOT estimates the wait at each location to be about an hour to finish the Real ID process.
Obtaining a Real ID is optional, but having one is necessary if you want to fly domestically or enter a federal building and don’t have a passport.
Local DMV offices are reported to have lines that last for hours. With increased demand and long wait times, the state is adding hours for Real IDs on some Mondays to meet that demand.
Many residents report being turned away by the DMV after waiting hours in line for not having the required documents, or for bringing documents that had been rejected.
PennDOT told a local news outlet that they’ve seen an “absolute increase” in Real ID demand as the deadline grows closer.
A PennDOT spokesperson wrote, “PennDOT has a Bureau of Real ID based in Harrisburg that focuses on processing REAL ID pre-verification requests and other Real ID-related items, and PennDOT has been hiring additional frontline staff since Real IDs became available in Pennsylvania in 2019. Additionally, we have added service hours on Mondays at select locations (when centers are normally closed) through our Real ID Days events. Next Monday, 57 locations will be open for Real ID services.”
