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Don't procrastinate on your Real ID

Rock Hill, SC, October 7, 2019

Yes, it’s a pain. Yes, you must go to the DMV. Yes, you need a lot of documentation. But if you haven’t already done so, you should not wait much longer to get the ball rolling on your Real ID.

In about a year, your driver’s license or identification card must have the Real ID designation in order to board a commercial domestic airline flight or gain access to federal facilities. Right now, my congressional office is helping a fair number of people who have encountered problems trying to obtain their Real ID. For example, someone who:

❎ has a current driver’s license with a name that is not spelled precisely like the name of their birth certificate (e.g. Jon vs. Jonathan);

❎ cannot obtain proof of his/her social security number for a variety of reasons;

❎ has lost the paper trails of a name change following a marriage or divorce/

These are just a few common issues that will prevent you from obtaining a Real ID. Many of these could take weeks or months to resolve, and some may require intervention from my congressional office.

While October 1st, 2020 is when Real IDs will be required to board flights and enter federal buildings, the sooner you begin the process, the better. Right now there is still plenty of time to address any unforeseen issues. If you run into a roadblock trying to obtain your Real ID, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at (803) 327-1114.

Click here for more information on the Real ID process in South Carolina.