My current driver’s license will expire in July of this year. I’m eligible to renew online, but if I do, I will receive a federally restricted license that will not be considered a valid form of identification to board a domestic flight in the future.
As of October 2020, a new type of license, called REAL ID, will be required to board all U.S. flights and to enter certain federal facilities. A REAL ID card is a federally approved card that will be accepted by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials at the airport.
Since California driver’s licenses expire every five years, it makes sense for me to apply for a REAL ID with this upcoming renewal. But this needs to be done in person.
I was unfamiliar with REAL ID and the deadline until a friend pointed it out to me. I would have thought I was so efficient renewing online, only to find out later that I, along with millions of other Californians, will want to obtain a REAL ID in the next two years.