Real ID Maryland: How To Avoid The Lines

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Maryland authorities are urging residents to get to a Motor Vehicle Administration office soon to get a Real ID compliant driver's license or other approved ID ahead of next year's deadline. You'll need the new ID, with a star in a circle in the upper right corner, if you plan to fly or enter any military base or federal building as of Oct. 1, 2020.

Residents can upgrade to a Real ID-compliant license or stick with a standard driver’s license when they get a new license at a MVA branch office. Customers are encouraged to make an appointment on the MDOT MVA website and after collecting documentation, visit a local branch to become REAL ID compliant.

Kimberly Goodlin posted on the MVA's Facebook page that her appointment at the Glen Burnie office went smoothly. "I walked up to the counter at 10:46 to check in for my 10:45 appointment (yep, I'm that girl) and I walked out the door at 11:02! Make sure you make an appointment for Real ID!"

Other residents have taken to the agency's social media accounts to complain about waits, or ask which documents are required to obtain the ID.

As of Sept. 30, 2.3 million Marylanders are Real ID compliant with the new card and documents on file, the MVA said.

Required documents for a Real ID compliant license include identification (original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. passport), a Social Security card, W-2 form, proof of legal name changes, and two proofs of address, such as vehicle registration, insurance card or bank statement. For details about what documents you'll need to apply for pre-verification, go to the REAL ID FAQs page; a list of most commonly used documents is posted online.

Find a list of full-service MVA offices, and their hours, here.

Visit Maryland's Real ID Lookup Tool to determine your Real ID status.

Even if you have the newly-designed driver’s license or identification card, you may need to submit additional documents in order to be REAL ID compliant – visit Maryland’s Real ID Lookup Tool to determine your Real ID status.

The MVA recalled 8,000 licenses in August, which means those drivers could have their license confiscated when stopped by police for a traffic infraction. Drivers whose licenses have been recalled have received at least six notices that they need to submit documents proving their age and identity, Social Security number and Maryland residency, Chrissy Nizer, Maryland MVA director, told WTOP.

State officials are notifying drivers in groups about the need for additional documents so the system isn't overwhelmed. So far, 80,000 drivers have been asked to submit information so that licenses meet the Real ID requirements.

"We've broken them up into groups because obviously it's a lot of customers; we don't want them all to come in at once," Nizer told WTOP.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks Congress required states to toughen the standards states use in issuing driver's licenses and other forms of identification, to make them more secure. Several of the 9/11 hijackers had false driver's licenses.

To remove the recall status from your license, visit the Real ID document guide: www.mva.maryland.gov/odg to collect required documentation and make an appointment to be seen at an MDOT MVA branch.

"Sixty percent of Maryland's almost 3 million licensed drivers must submit new documentation to prove age, identity and residence by October 2020," according to previous news reports.

To speed the process of obtaining a Real ID, you must meet the burden of proof, AAA Travel Services says. All the documents required to verify your identity must be originals, including official birth documents issued by a state. Temporary documents and photocopies are not accepted.

To reduce wait times for Real ID, the Maryland Department of Transportation MVA extended service hours at seven branch offices. Under the plan, the Maryland MVA will make more than 3,000 appointments available statewide each day.

Check to see if you already have a Real ID credential. "If you have a star in the upper right-hand corner of your driver's license, permit, or identification card, you have a Real-ID compliant license," said Ragina Cooper Averella with AAA Mid-Atlantic. Your renewed driver's license or identification card will be mailed directly to your home address.

Transportation Security Administration officers who check tickets at airports will not allow travelers into the checkpoint without a Real ID license or another form of acceptable ID after October 1, 2020.