Jan 05, 2020

AAA: Time for air travelers to get real

Posted Jan 05, 2020 3:23 PM

Kansas Department of Revenue and AAA Kansas suggest ways to prepare for the changes Kansas travelers will face next year

TOPEKA – REAL ID has arrived in Kansas, and the Kansas Department of Revenue and AAA Kansas advise that travelers consider their options now ahead of this year’s nationwide enforcement of the federal program.

Beginning October 2020, all U.S. residents will need a compliant license/ID or an acceptable form of ID to board a domestic flight, access a Federal facility, or enter a nuclear power plant. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) considers a current passport or military ID acceptable identification for boarding an aircraft.

“The requirement for REAL ID to fly will be here before we know it,” says Shawn Steward, manager of public and government affairs for AAA Kansas. “To avoid being caught off-guard, now is the time for Kansans to decide whether they’ll upgrade to a REAL ID-compliant license or whether they’ll use a passport instead.”

<b>Sample of a Kansas driver's license with REAL ID.</b>
Sample of a Kansas driver's license with REAL ID.

Since 2007, the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Division of Vehicles has been preparing for implementation of Real ID. In 2017, the Division began issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards with the Real ID symbol at the top of license or identification cards.

If you provided the needed documentation since 2007, you may already be ready for Real ID. To see if you are already in the system, simply go to https://www.kdor.ks.gov/Apps/DLStatus/login.aspx to get a driver’s license status check. If you don’t have the Real ID logo on your credential but it has a “yes” next to Real ID on the status check website, you are compliant and ready to obtain your new indicator. Take your unexpired license or identification card, two proofs of address, and if you have it your renewal card to a driver’s license office to get the Real ID.

If it has a “no” next to Real ID, present the documents listed below to receive Real ID.

Kansans have a choice as to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card, or a standard driver’s license or identification card. For anyone who decides to upgrade to a REAL ID, outside of their renewal period, they’ll pay a one-time fee of $8. Kansans have the ability to renew a license or identification card a year in advance of its expiration date.

To obtain a REAL ID

Visit any Kansas Driver’s License Office to have documents verified and imaged. Then, the REAL ID will be received in the mail within 45 business days.

Federal regulations require that the Division of Vehicles must verify the following documents for a customer before issuing a REAL ID-compliant product:

Proof of identity (Original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. Passport).

Proof of Social Security number (Card must be original and the name on the S.S. card must match the identity document).

Proof of all legal name changes (Marriage certificate or court order issued by your county’s family court).

Two proofs of current, physical Kansas address (examples include a current, unexpired Kansas driver’s license or ID and a no more than 90-day-old bank statement or utility bill).

While AAA Kansas retail branch offices are not REAL ID centers, AAA travel agents are on hand to discuss any questions that AAA members or the general public may have about the program. AAA Kansas retail travel offices have REAL ID information cards available for travelers. Additionally, travelers can consult the Kansas Department of Revenue’s REAL ID web page for additional information.

--aaa.com--