The Real ID deadline has arrived. How NC residents can avoid long waits at the DMV
Effective immediately, North Carolinians wishing to board airplanes or enter secured federal facilities using only their driver's license will need a Real ID. How to avoid a painful trip to the DMV.
Reader’s Note: In the public interest, the paywall for this story is being lifted. If you value this kind of thorough, service-oriented reporting that seeks to make your life easier, please consider helping to sustain it.
To support my continued reporting, please consider a paid subscription to Anderson Alerts here. Step-by-step instructions for existing unpaid readers is available here.
When I was reporting for The Sacramento Bee in 2018, I wrote a story about the looming deadline by which many people would need to get an updated driver’s license at the DMV to avoid being turned away at airports, which was exacerbating already rising wait times in California DMV field offices.
Little did I know this would set in motion a string of about 40 articles I would go on to write about the California DMV during my nearly two-year stint in Sacramento.
Today, that Real ID deadline has finally arrived. So as much as I’ve avoided writing about the North Carolina DMV due to my past expansive coverage of a single agency, there’s no escaping it today. With that in mind, here’s what you should know on how to avoid long wait times at the DMV or a trip altogether:
What’s Real ID?
It’s a new state-issued driver’s license that is now required for adults wanting to use their driver’s license to enter airports, U.S. military bases, federal prisons and other secured federal facilities.
Do I already have a Real ID?
If you pull out your driver’s license and look at the top right hand corner, that will give you the answer. If it has a star, you’re in the clear. See example below:
If you don’t have a Real ID, you’ll want to keep reading…
Do I need a Real ID?
For some people, yes. For others, no.
Who doesn’t need a Real ID?
If you have other acceptable forms of ID, such as a passport, that’s sufficient, so there’s no need to make a trip to the DMV at all. (Pro Tip: The TSA also currently accepts expired ID’s up to two years after expiration for passports and other acceptable forms of ID. So if you have a recently expired passport, hold onto it)!
If you aren’t taking a commercial flight or needing to enter a secured federal facility within the next three months, no hasty trip to the DMV is necessary. But again, you may still want to make that DMV appointment three months ahead of time for your comfort.
Who needs a Real ID?
If you’ve relied exclusively on your driver’s license to get you into airports or secured federal facilities and don’t have another valid form of ID, such as a passport, then you’ll definitely want a Real ID. And if you’re a frequent flier, it may make sense for you to go to the DMV imminently to avoid any travel disruptions. But be prepared for a very painful trip. When you go to the DMV, bring all the required documents! If you don’t, you’ll almost certainly have just wasted your day. A key thing many people forget to bring: Documents verifying any name change.
If you’re traveling by commercial plane more than three months from now but still want to get your Real ID headaches out of the way, I’d recommend scheduling a DMV appointment immediately. Lines will be more tolerable with an appointment (notice I said “more tolerable”). The North Carolina DMV schedules appointments 90 days in advance.
How do I avoid long lines?
Before we talk about when you should go into a DMV, I must reiterate something: Show up to the DMV with all the required documents! If you don’t, you’ll have just wasted your day. A key thing many people forget to bring: Documents verifying any name change.
Now to the appointments…
An Anderson Alerts review shows less than 3% of DMV offices taking Real ID appointments have slots available before Aug. 5. Nearly all offices presently have Aug. 5 available, though those will be taken up swiftly. My recommendation is for folks to book the next available appointment the moment they wake up.
Presumably, there’s going to be a flurry of people without appointments flocking to the DMV, even hours before they open. But unless you truly desperately need a Real ID for travel imminently, my advice: Don’t make the trip to the DMV just yet.
If you can live without a Real ID for another three months, make an appointment right away to sidestep the headaches.
When appointments are cancelled, sporadic openings do emerge. But I wouldn’t want to give folks a false sense of hope. There’s no skill in getting those, just luck. And hope is not a strategy.
Right now, there’s only three places I see taking appointments within the next 89 days, based on DMV records:
Jefferson: May 9, June 30 and July 23 openings
Hudson: July 31 opening
Asheboro: Aug. 4 opening
Nearly everywhere else in state: Aug. 5 earliest opening*
*Note: These fill up quickly, so book the moment you wake up
Who do I blame for this mess?
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there was a bipartisan push to make airports safer.
So in 2005, federal lawmakers passed a bill to create extra safeguards through new state-issued ID’s designed to prevent people from unlawfully entering airports. The provisions were ultimately enacted through a spending bill, which was supported by all but 58 House members (Among North Carolina’s congressional delegation: Republican Rep. Howard Coble and Democratic Rep. Melvin Watt were the only ones to oppose it).
New ID requirements were poised to take effect in 2008, but a combination of state resistance and implementation concerns prompted the deadline to drag on and on. And let’s be honest: What administration wants to be the one in charge when angry Americans start getting turned away at airports?
The now 17-year delay has given people growing awareness of Real ID and the deadline, but there will almost assuredly be millions of people now learning of Real ID for the first time.
Who shouldn’t I blame for this mess?
North Carolina DMV Commissioner Paul Tine, a former Democratic state lawmaker. Why? His first day on the job was Tuesday. Heck, the state Department of Transportation’s website still lists his predecessor, Wayne Goodwin, as the DMV’s current commissioner.
Less than 24 hours into the new position, Tine now finds himself navigating the Real ID deadline.
Real ID definitely needed if you are a frequent flyer.