REAL ID cards available today in Pennsylvania
The race to offer federally mandated REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards has been an 18-month marathon for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Since August 2017, Penn DOT has worked to establish a dozen centers across the state that can issue both the voluntary, harder-to counter feit cards and regular driver’s licenses. It has encouraged thousands to pre-register the required documents so they can pay online to obtain their cards in the mail, and it trained nearly 200 new employees to review documents and process requests for the cards.
All at a total cost of more than $24 million.
That effort culminates Friday, when cards finally become
available. Penn DOT expects more than 2.5 million of the state’s 10.7 million residents with driver’s licenses or ID cards to obtain REAL ID cards.
“There have been a lot of very dedicated people who have been working a long time to reach this point and we think we’re ready,” said Kurt Myers, Penn DOT’s deputy secretary for driver and vehicle services. “Are we going to be perfect? No. But we’ll work through those early problems to get things right.”
The new cards — or as an alternative, a passport — will be required beginning in October 2020 for anyone entering most federal facilities or passing through airport security.
The federal Department of Homeland Security ordered states to offer the harder-to-duplicate ID cards in 2005 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. But Pennsylvania and several other states resisted because of the cost of the program.
In January 2017, Gov. Tom Wolf said the state would take steps to comply after federal officials announced that beginning in October 2020, state driver’s licenses or ID cards would no longer be good for entering federal buildings or getting through airport security.
Centers that provide REAL ID will have a higher level of security than the existing driver’s license centers, including more cameras, bars across heating and ventilation ducts to prevent someone from crawling in and double security measures for access to secure rooms.
Crews worked this week to finish the center in the Pittsburgh area, located in the Chartiers Valley Shopping Center on Washington Pike/Route 50 in Bridgeville. It has taken part of the Phoenix Theatres Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 complex, and is one of six completely new centers across the state.
Sarah Baker, REAL ID program manager, has been there for several weeks to oversee the work and test new systems. The Bridgeville location, behind the Giant Eagle supermarket, is much larger than the driver’s license center that it will replace; it has seven photo stations and 21 counters for driver’s license services, compared to two and eight at the old site. It also has 14 computer stations for taking tests to obtain a driver’s license.
Ms. Baker said the centers were designed to make the experience as quick and efficient as possible. Among the new offerings are a customer service representative to direct patrons; color-coded areas, blue for license services and green for photos; the ability for the first time to pay by debit or credit cards; a separate waiting area for family members or companions; and public Wi-Fi, charging stations and table tops for customers to use laptops and cellphones if they do have to wait.
The Bridgeville center will have 30 to 40 employees on duty from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Other new stations opening Friday include King of Prussia, Allentown, Harrisburg, Lancaster and Norristown, while existing centers have been retrofitted to issue the new cards in Williamsport, Wilkes-Barre, Rockview, Erie, Altoona and Philadelphia.
For the past year, Penn DOT has been encouraging residents who want a REAL ID card to pre-register so they don’t have to go to a license center to obtain the card.
Those who obtained their first license or ID card after 2003 could register online because the state has their required paperwork on file. More than 200,000 residents have taken advantage of that.
Another 70,000 who received their licenses before 2003 have taken their paperwork to a license center to have their identifications verified.
Now, both of those groups can go to Penn DOT’s website at www.penndot.gov, pay for their card and receive it by mail within two weeks.
Beginning today, those who have not pre-registered can go to the REAL ID centers with the proper paperwork and receive their card over the counter. Residents also can take their paperwork to any other license center, have it certified and receive the new card or license by mail.
Required paperwork includes: an original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or a valid passport; proof of a Social Security number such as an unlaminated Social Security card; proof of legal name changes such as a marriage license or an order from family court; and two proofs of a current address, such as a valid driver’s license or ID card and a bank statement or utility bill less than 90 days old.
“We’re one of the few states to have pre-verification, but we wanted to be proactive,” Mr. Myers said. “Part of the intent is… the more people who pre-verify and get their REAL ID by mail, the fewer people have to come into the license center to get their card.”
The REAL ID card will cost $30 plus a renewal fee of $30.50 for a non-commercial license or ID card, but residents won’t lose time they already purchased. For example, someone with three years left on a license would pay $30.50 to renew it for four years and then not need a new license for seven years.
“We wanted to be up and running early so everyone who wants a REAL ID card can be done on time,” Ms. Baker said.
Penn DOT plans to upgrade all license centers over time so they can issue REAL ID cards. Mr. Myers said all locations will be able to accept debit or credit card payments for any service by the end of summer.