Naturally thought of this thread.
“The testing requirement is gone—you could’ve travelled with her.”
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But when you renew you will HAVE to get real ID.
Why do you say that? Regular licenses are still available.
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I think you can also use a current W2 form to prove your SS.
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I’m doing mine at AAA. I haven’t been to the DMV in years. I have no reason to ever go there…so I don’t.
Plus…I can pick up travel info at AAA.
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Everyone will need one eventually. Depends on the state you are in as to deadline date. In my state if you need a license renewal it is the only option.
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I just got my Real ID in PA. Not a hassle at all. The proof of residency requirement is waived if you have a current PA drivers license. The proof of legal name is waived if your current name is same as on a current passport. I was at the DMV for all of 20 minutes for processing and all I needed to give them was my license/photo card, my SS card, and my current passport. It was MUCH easier than I thought it would be.
FYI for PA resident’s, the PennDot website is not clear about paperwork requirements on the Real ID page, but the accompanying PDF spells it out quite specifically. I thought I would have to go through hoops for the proof of residency until I dug a little deeper and read the pdf.
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I though the deadline was only for flying purposes and you can still use your passport instead. I just renewed my license last month and had the option of regular or real id.
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Really? PA still offers both. At least I just renewed so I have a 4 year reprieve 
at a minimum .
H and I got our Real ID driver’s license years ago. We also have a current passport. It was a bit of a pain that I had to send H back to our house to get my SS card since I didn’t have any docs that had it and having my valid passport wasn’t enough since no SS# on it.
Some state do issue driver’s licenses to those who aren’t eligible for REAL ID so they will still issue them (California does). But do you want a license that says “Not proof of citizenship” across the top of it? I like the Star on mine. Makes me feel powerful.
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My husband and I just got Real ID recently, no pain if you booked for an appointment, we just showed our DLs and passports, plus 2 bank statements with our names. That’s it.
I advise you pay strict attention to the current real ID requirements in your area. They have changed a lot over time in HI.
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Yes, VA has a pretty good list of things you’ll need and what’s acceptable. It’s easier if you have a passport as that covers a couple of points. If not, you might need a birth certificate plus a marriage license to prove name change. It is also harder if you’re a young adult with no mortgage and all utilities are included in rent and not everything has been switched over from your old address. Older S just renewed his by mail and skipped the real ID this time. He has a passport for travel.
I got mine when I had to renew my license right after the DMVs reopened after the lockdown and it was a nightmare trying to get an appointment. I brought a folder with anything and everything because I didn’t want it to get messed up.
I had no problem with the documents part. I failed the eye exam! She told me to read the letters and I did, and she said “what about the rest of them?” Umm. I saw nothing. Not even a blur. Then she asked if I did the monovision thing with contacts. Yeah. That’s why, she said, and passed me. Phew. But it was wild. I literally could not tell anything was there even when I knew there should be. The others were perfectly clear.
I had the exact same thing–couldn’t see the rest of the letters. And you’re right–it is really weird.
Cataracts was the problem. Monovision contacts (I had monovision contacts) is not the reason.
Interesting good thing I have a checkup next month.
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Our dmv allows people to being a recent certificate from their eye md that says they passed the vision test and be exempted from retesting at the dmv.
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Yes, I saw this in my parents’ state as well. There, I believe you have to show two separate residency documents in order to get a DL, so the DL card with current name and address will suffice when applying for Real ID.
For those flying into Canada between now and the end of this month:
After submitting my info on the ArriveCAN app, I was prompted to pre-register for COVID testing, in the event any of us were selected for random testing once we got off the plane. Negative COVID tests are not otherwise required to enter Canada.
When I went to the pre-registry site, it noted that random COVID tests were being suspended from June 11 until the end of the month. YAY!!!
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I just had a 3-week road trip vacation. We drove 3 days from Toronto to Yellowstone, and used 3 weeks to visit Yellowstone national park, Grand Teton, Arches, Canyonland, Zion, and Grand Canyon. We planned this trip two years ago and canceled all bookings last year. We eventually did it. It was great and I also felt crazy for 3 weeks on the road. We passed 15 states and had a lot of challenges as well. I just learned Yellowstone is closed for the first time in 34 years because of historic flooding. Also, I can say 99% of people don’t wear masks in these tourist areas. We still have to use Arrivecan to return to Canada, which I don’t understand why need it. After two years of the pandemic, we really need this trip to reward ourselves.
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