Do you have your birth certificate or social security card on you?
Most people probably don't.
But by October 2020, if you fly often, you may want to dig in those filing cabinets.
Under the REAL ID Act, your current California driver's license or ID won't be considered federally-compliant, which means you won't be able to use them to fly or enter any federal building.
You can still fly with your passport and you can still drive with your current license.
Jessica Gonzalez, a spokesperson with the DMV, said people should think if they really need one and when. It's been a program they've been working on for years and they're implementing the last steps. People can start applying for them in January 2018.
You'll need to apply in person and have:
- Your social security card
- Two forms of proof of residency
- Your birth certificate
Just last week in Governor Jerry Brown's revised state budget, he allocated $23 million to help implement these new REAL ID's.
"Well I have my social security card," said Vanessa Russell, while waiting at the DMV. "[But] I'm 60-years-old! I wouldn't have my [birth certificate] on me."
Kendra Barnes is a millenial, but she also doesn't have her birth certificate for a different reason.
"I have my social, but my birth certificate is in Southern California [at] my parents' house," said Barnes.
Gonzalez added that the DMV will increase staffing for the next 6 years as they implement this new program. She encourages people to make sure to have an appointment if they do decide they want a REAL ID.
