The often-delayed Real ID driver’s license requirement for flying goes into effect today (May 7th). Iowa DOT spokesperson Kathleen Meradith-Eyers says it appears a majority of people flying from the state are prepared.
“Over 76% of Iowans already have their Real ID for their driver’s license or ID card, and in fact data from the from TSA checkpoints at Iowa Airports shows that 85% to 87% of folks traveling through Iowa Airports are Real ID compliant,” she says. Meradith-Eyers says you will need another form of ID, such as a passport, to board a plane if you haven’t upgraded your driver’s license.
She says it’s a one-time thing. “Once you come in, you bring us the documents and we add the gold star that’ll stay on there every time you renew,” she says. The gold start in the upper right corner of the license shows it is a Real ID. It also works if your ID is on your phone. “Your mobile ID, whether that’s on the mobile ID app, or in the Apple or Samsung wallets, it’ll show that you have a Real ID, and that is accepted at TSA checkpoints as well,” she says.
Meradith-Eyers says you need to go into a driver’s license renewal station with some extra documents to make your license a Real ID. “Proof of identity. For most people, that is a birth certificate or a passport. You will need two documents that show your residential address in Iowa. So that could be a utility bill, it could be a bank statement, or just two pieces of mail. And then the last thing that you’ll need is proof of your social security number. So anything that lists your full social security number and name,” Meradith-Eyers says.
Those just getting their driver’s licenses don’t have to worry. “All new Iowa drivers or those who are getting an Iowa license ID for the first time, they already have to bring in all those documents anyways. So if you’re coming in and getting your first driver’s license, you will be all set up to get that real ID,” she says. You can get an appointment to change to a Real ID at IowaDOT.gov. Meradith-Eyers says they recommend getting it two months before you need to fly.