With the REAL ID deadline less than one year away, Constitutional Tax Collector Anne M. Gannon urges Palm Beach County residents to check their driver license or state ID card to make sure the credential is REAL ID compliant. Does it have a gold star in the upper right corner? If it is missing the star, the credential is not REAL ID compliant, which has real impacts.
Starting Oct. 1, 2020, every U.S. resident must present a REAL ID driver license or ID card to board a commercial flight or enter a federal building. Residents who do not have a REAL ID will have to present an alternate acceptable form of identification, such as a valid U.S. passport, to be allowed through security.
“We have been issuing REAL ID driver licenses and state ID cards since 2010, and I am pleased to report over 90% of Palm Beach County residents have a REAL ID,” said Gannon, “I’m urging those who are not yet REAL ID compliant to make an appointment now to avoid a last minute rush later.”
According to Terry Rhodes, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, compliance numbers increase daily. As of September 10, 2019, roughly 10%, or 121,690 Palm Beach County driver license and ID card holders are not REAL ID compliant.
“If you do not have the gold star, you cannot become REAL ID compliant by renewing online,” said Rhodes.
Residents must apply in person and bring original documents that prove identity, social security number and residential address. Primary identification documentation requirements differ depending on the resident’s status as either a U.S. citizen, immigrant, non-immigrant or Canadian citizen.
For a complete list of required documentation, please visit www.pbctax.com/real-id.
Non-compliant Palm Beach County residents should review the list today, as some documents must be valid for more than 30 days. Documentation proving names changes also require an updated social security card that is more than 48 hours old.
“I know it is not always easy to obtain the required documentation,” said Gannon. “People who need to become REAL ID compliant should start the process now to ensure they have ample time to gather documentation.”
The REAL ID Act of 2005 set new standards for the issuance of driver licenses and ID cards. The Department of Homeland Security developed REAL ID standards to improve the integrity and security of state-issued driver licenses and ID cards. These standards help fight terrorism and reduce fraud.
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