One year countdown to obtain a Real ID begins

The countdown is on for almost half of state driver’s license and identification card holders who have yet to get a Real ID from the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles.

Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, Real IDs will be the only ID card accepted for boarding on domestic flights.

About 58 percent of all Nevada licenses and ID cards, or 1.2 million, are Real ID-compliant.

About 865,000 Nevadans hold noncompliant cards, according to the DMV.

Licenses and ID cards that are not Real ID-compliant will be marked “not for federal official use” and will not be accepted by Transportation Security Administration agents.

Real IDs will look similar to noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards but will feature a gold star in the top-right corner.

Travelers who don’t have a Real ID after Oct. 1 next year will have to provide another form of identification.

Some alternative forms of ID include a passport, a military ID or U.S.-issued immigration documents that will be necessary to show Transportation Security Administration agents before boarding a domestic flight.

The Real ID Act was established in 2005, with a phased implementation plan announced in 2013.

It adds minimum security standards for license issuance and production, prohibiting federal agencies from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the act’s minimum standards.

Aside from air travel, Real IDs will be needed for access to federal facilities and entrance to nuclear power plants.

Nevada has been issuing Real ID cards since November 2014.

Obtaining a Real ID is optional, and residents who don’t plan to fly or enter secure federal facilities may not need a Real ID or could wait until after the deadline to get one.

Noncompliant cards will continue to be accepted for non-federal purposes, such as driving and identification at businesses.

To obtain a Real ID, residents must provide proof of identity — such as a birth certificate or passport — proof of any name changes, proof of Social Security number and two documents to prove Nevada residence.

For those upgrading to a Real ID only, the fee is $9.25 for a driver’s license and $8.25 for an identification card.

For those renewing their license or making another change, such as adding an endorsement or changing their name, there is no additional charge for a Real ID.