Still need a Real ID? Here’s how you can save time on your next trip to the DMV
The clock is ticking for the roughly 16 million California drivers who are expected to come the Department of Motor Vehicles by the end of the year for a Real ID.
The cards, which are required by the federal government for those wishing to board airplanes or enter other federal facilities without having to bring a passport, have been issued at a sluggish pace.
Just 7 million Californians have received the updated driver’s licenses since the program launched in January 2018. With an Oct. 1 deadline approaching and the strong possibility of thousands of travels being be turned away at airports this fall, the DMV is working to speed things up.
While Californians still need to come to the DMV in person for the card, the hope is a new system will get customers in and out of the offices much faster by allowing them to submit the necessary documents online.
California has spent the last couple months testing the concept of electronic document submissions in five locations, including the Sacramento Broadway office. According to the DMV, more than 18,000 people across the state have filled out the online application, submitted their documents electronically and completed the process by coming to a DMV office to get a Real ID.
Next month, 18 more offices will allow customers to electronically send their two proofs of residency, one proof of identity and one proof of their social security number.
The DMV expects the feature to be rolled out statewide by June. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday it is authorizing the process nationwide.
“This process, along with streamlining and elimination of redundant steps, reduces the time it takes to process the transaction in an office from what used to take 28 minutes down to 10 minutes or less,” said Anita Gore, a spokesman for the California DMV.
The U.S. Travel Association, which represents a host of hotel companies and travel firms, estimated last year that more than half a million Americans across the country could be turned away at airports during the first week of implementation, thus creating a $282 million hit to the industry through lost travel revenue.
Homeland Security reported last month that states have collectively issued more than 95 million Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards out of 276 million total cards, or 34 percent. In California, about 20 million drivers are still without a Real ID card.
“While progress has been made, the real work is still ahead because approximately two-thirds of all licenses are presently not compliant with Real ID,” said a statement from Chad Wolf, acting director for DHS.
After a customer submits the paperwork online, they must bring the documents with them to a DMV office to present them at the counter for review, where their photo is then taken to complete the process.
Californians who want to be in-and-out of the DMV even faster are also encouraged to make an appointment in advance or visit one of the more than 60 offices open on Saturday.
Those in the Sacramento area who go the DMV without an appointment on a weekday can expect the shortest wait times in Napa or Davis. The lines at the Sacramento location on 4700 Broadway are generally much shorter than those at the Sacramento South field office.
“More than 7 million Californians have a Real ID,” Gore said. “The millions more who want or need them should come to an office now while wait times are low. As the enforcement date gets closer and the procrastinators come to an office, wait times will go up.”
This story was originally published February 22, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Still need a Real ID? Here’s how you can save time on your next trip to the DMV."