Lawmakers push to delay REAL ID deadline; New Jersey offers emergency program
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The deadline is fast approaching, but there are new calls for a delay in requiring a REAL ID for domestic travel in the United States.
It comes as people across the country and in the Tri-State area face long lines and delays.
The requirement is set to take effect on May 7. But U.S. officials estimate only about 61% of drivers' licenses and IDs will be compliant by the deadline.
In Kentucky, lawmakers wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying if the deadline isn't pushed, "..it will further strain already overburdened regional offices and create unnecessary hardship."
Lawmakers in Maine went even further and proposed a bill to opt out of REAL ID.
In the Tri-State area, frustration is mounting as appointments stretch into July. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is now offering a REAL ID emergency program out of its Trenton center.
It is meant only for those scheduled to take a domestic flight within 14 days - for life life-or-death reasons or urgent travel plans - who do not have a REAL ID or passport.
The requirement had been pushed back for years due to cost, politics and the pandemic.
The REAL ID requirement became law back in 2005 as an effort to improve security after 9/11 by setting federal standards for IDs like driver's licenses.
Now the impending deadline has procrastinators worried.
If you are traveling domestically on or after May 7, it is best to proceed as if the deadline is not being extended - until you hear otherwise.
Aside from the DMV and MVC, appointments for REAL IDs can be made at the New York Auto Show through April 27. They may also be available at local AAA branches.
A TSA spokesperson released the following statement:
"Beginning on May 7, passengers will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly, like a passport or military ID. TSA is committed to enforcing the law, as directed by Congress. Non-compliant passengers may expect wait times or additional measures at airports. If you are an illegal alien without a REAL ID, the only way you will be permitted to fly is if you are self-deporting."
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