A sample of a REAL ID compliant South Carolina driver’s license. (Photo courtesy of the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles)
COLUMBIA — Starting in 75 days, South Carolinians will need a gold star on their driver’s license to show it’s a REAL ID to get through airport security without a passport.
Federal identification requirements passed by Congress 20 years ago will actually be enforced starting May 7 for people boarding a commercial flight within the United States or entering secure federal buildings and military installations.
Anyone needing the identification for those reasons should not procrastinate, said Mike Fitts, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
“We would definitely advise, especially if you have plans to take a domestic flight, not to wait,” he said.
Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to standardize ID verification in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
South Carolina initially refused to comply.
But the Legislature reversed course in 2017, when it appeared enforcement would be imminent. The law signed by Gov. Henry McMaster that year overturned the state’s decade-old ban and directed the DMV to make the license, which became available at all 67 branches in early 2018.
The federal government has postponed the enforcement date multiple times, for reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic.
But May 7 is supposed to be the day when security will really start checking for a REAL ID.
Of the 4.5 million IDs issued by the DMV, which includes roughly 400,000 photo IDs that aren’t driver’s licenses, more than 2.7 million, or 60%, are REAL ID-compliant as of Friday, Fitts said.
REAL IDs expire after eight years. Under the 2017 law that allowed for their creation in South Carolina, driver’s licenses are only good for eight years too. All licenses issued in South Carolina after Oct. 1. 2017, expire in eight years, rather than 10 as they previously did.
Do I need a REAL ID?
The ID that meets federal identification requirements remains an option, not a mandate.
People without a valid U.S. passport or military ID will need it by May 7 if they want to fly, get onto a military base or enter a secured federal building.
But it won’t be needed to drive, vote, access benefits such as Social Security, or enter non-secured federal buildings such as a post office.
For anyone unsure whether their license is a REAL ID, check the top right corner.
A REAL ID has the gold star, while noncompliant state driver’s licenses issued since 2017 will have a message that reads “Not for Federal Identification.”
How much and what do I need?
For most South Carolinians, the cost of getting a REAL ID is $25, the same fee that a standard license renewal requires. For children ages 5 to 16, the cost is $15. The DMV doesn’t issue ID cards for children under 5, who don’t need a REAL ID to get through security anyway.
A REAL ID modernization law passed by Congress in December 2020 as part of a pandemic aid package made the documentation process easier. It’s no longer necessary to provide an actual Social Security card as proof. Instead, the number will be electronically verified at the DMV with the Social Security Administration.
The following is what’s still needed, with examples:
- Proof of identity and citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport
- Two proofs of address, such as an unexpired South Carolina driver’s license and a utility bill showing the same name and address
- Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable), such as a marriage license, divorce papers, or court order. If an unexpired passport contains the current legal name, that can be shown instead.
You can get your REAL ID at all DMV branches. Check here for locations and wait times.