This is a sample of the West Virginia REAL ID driver’s license, which was introduced in April 2023. West Virginia residents who want to board an airplane for a domestic flight will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license by May 7, 2025, or will need to use another approved form of identification, such as a passport. The REAL ID driver’s license and identification card has a gold star in the upper right corner to indicate that the license meets federal regulations that establish minimum security standards.
West Virginia residents seeking to board commercial aircraft for domestic flights will soon need more than a standard-issue driver’s license to clear Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints.
This is a sample of the West Virginia REAL ID driver’s license, which was introduced in April 2023. West Virginia residents who want to board an airplane for a domestic flight will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license by May 7, 2025, or will need to use another approved form of identification, such as a passport. The REAL ID driver’s license and identification card has a gold star in the upper right corner to indicate that the license meets federal regulations that establish minimum security standards.
WV Division of Motor Vehicles | Courtesy photo
Starting May 7, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, or other approved form of identification, such as a passport, will be required to board airline flights or enter federal buildings or military bases, officials with the TSA and the state Department of Motor Vehicles announced on Tuesday.
“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards,†said John C. Allen, the TSA’s federal security director for West Virginia.
REAL ID born from the Sept. 11 attacks
The REAL ID program was a product of President George W. Bush’s 9/11 Commission, said Lisa Farbstein, regional spokeswoman for the TSA.
“Each terrorist involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, attack was carrying fraudulent identification,†Farbstein said.
While Congress authorized the REAL ID program in 2005, its implementation was delayed to allow states to prepare for the new identification system. Just as the program was ready for implementation in 2020, COVID swept through the nation, bringing air travel and in-person visits to DMV offices to a standstill.
With REAL ID in place, “we will be able to immediately know you are who you say you are,†Farbstein said.
How to get your REAL ID
To obtain a REAL ID-compliant license, residents must visit a West Virginia DMV office in person, bringing with them documents to prove U.S. citizenship and West Virginia residency. Required documents include a Social Security card or W-2 form listing an individual’s Social Security number, as well as:
Proof of identity, which can be:
A U.S. passport
U.S. birth certificate
Two proofs of residency, which can include:
A recent utility bill displaying your home address
Tax record listing street address
Once an application is completed and approved, REAL ID licenses will be sent to applicants by mail in 10 to 15 days, according to the DMV. REAL ID driver’s licenses are similar in appearance to standard driver’s licenses, but they display a star in the upper-right corner.
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