Is Real ID worth it?

[foxcreek9]

If you have Global Entry, that card is Real ID compliant.

 

[braumeister]

FWIW, post #4 contains a link to the full list of alternatives for Real ID.

 

[Aerides]

Passport cards aren't free though, they cost more than most DL renewals at $65. Good to have though!

 

[euro]

We just went with a standard license here in Washington state. The standard license was $54 for six years and could be renewed online. The Real ID was $78 and required a bunch of paperwork and a visit to the DOL. We rarely travel by plane (last time was 2016) and already have passports if needed, so the standard licenses work fine for us.

I think that is a reasonable approach for those of us who rarely or never use air travel domestically. For international travel you need a passport anyway, so I don’t actually see any particular benefit of REAL ID. Unless, of course, ID additional processes (banks, liquor stores, etc) start requiring it. So far, that hasn’t happened as far as I know.

 

[braumeister]

Passport cards aren't free though, they cost more than most DL renewals at $65. Good to have though!

Only $30 to renew one.

 

[ncbill]

Only $30 to renew one.

And good for 10 years at around half the annual cost of a driver's license in my state.

Since I carry the passport card I might just 'forget' to renew my DL.

 

[Trailwalker]

My driver's license expired this year, so I got the REAL ID last week. $34 and doesn't expire until 2031. Same price as regular driver's license for Wisconsin.

 

[scrabbler1]

When my DL came up for renewal in 2018, I looked through my state's requirements to get a Real ID. I didn't have an original birth certificate (only a copy) and lacked any of the other special ID items. So I just renewed my DL as a standard DL. I hadn't flown in a plane since 2003 and have no plans to ever fly again.

 

[Koolau]

Got it a few months back. IIRC you need your old (non-compliant, expiring) license, a certified birth certificate, a marriage certificate (for those who changed their name at time of marriage) and a document that shows you live where your ID will then say you live. I took two things (an electric bill and my car registration.)

The folks at DMV always push for "more" for no reason, but if you put your foot down, they cave quickly. I have no idea why they take this attitude, but I suspect it is because THEY are a state agency trying to deal with a FEDERAL document. They don't want to have anyone come back and point a finger at them.

But, in reality, it was easy. If you don't already have a birth cert. you should get one anyway. Same with marriage cert. YMMV

 

[SecondAttempt]

I think that is a reasonable approach for those of us who rarely or never use air travel domestically. For international travel you need a passport anyway, so I don’t actually see any particular benefit of REAL ID. Unless, of course, ID additional processes (banks, liquor stores, etc) start requiring it. So far, that hasn’t happened as far as I know.

I had to show a RealID when refinancing my mortgage in 2020. I used my passport. Not sure that was a legal requirement or my mortgage broker covering herself.

 

[Koolau]

I had to show a RealID when refinancing my mortgage in 2020. I used my passport. Not sure that was a legal requirement or my mortgage broker covering herself.

Heh, heh, long before anyone even thought of RealID, mortgage brokers have required ridiculous things from potential customers. End of mini-rant. YMMV

 

[Al in Ohio]

I renewed my driver's license recently, and there was no Real ID fee, or any option to do otherwise. All renewals in FL since 2020 require the Real ID version. Easy peasy, no "worth it" decision. Just made my appointment, went to the DMV, and now I'm all set.

Passports are a world of hurt to replace. DL's far less pain. The odds of losing ID/Wallet on a trip are not zero. So if/when that happens to me, I'd rather it be my DL than my Passport.

Pro-tip: I keep an old copy of my license in an enclosed pocket of a jacket I wear when flying. If I ever lose my ID when traveling, at least I've got something to make it a bit easier to prove I'm me, even if it doesn't truly count.

ETA: Yes, you need some paperwork and ID - check your state DMV site. I think a passport counts, voter ID card, other stuff to prove address. I got a new copy of my SS card also as I couldn't find mine. It was a good exercise in itself to location and centralize various documents. I did all that about a month before my DL appointment.
My new one expires in 8 years, just like the prior period.

That was my rationale also. In Ohio it was easy. Just grab a few extra docs from my desk when I renewed my DL last month and voila, now I have a fully compliant Real ID and no need to worry about losing or carrying my passport on a simple domestic flight. For me it was a no brainer.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Taking in my driver's license, which was due for renewal, along with passport and proof of address (car registration and/or car insurance forms were fine), and since I use my married name, I brought along my marriage license as well. It took and hour, but 45 minutes of that was waiting for my number to be called. There was an extra expense, but it wasn't a big deal. It means I don't have to carry my passport for domestic travel. However, I will carry my Global Entry card, as it has my TSA precheck attached. No big deal. I'm glad it's done.

 

[FIYes]

It was worth it to me to get a Real ID when I had to renew my driver’s license last year. Yes, it was additional paperwork and cost a bit more, but the convenience of having it made it worthwhile. I have a passport but the Real ID is more convenient. My license was renewed for 8 years. Now that is very handy! DH doesn’t have a real ID and will need to carry his passport for any domestic air travel.

 

[Koolau]

I've forgotten exactly when the whole "Real ID" requirement was introduced but I think it was to have become effective back in 2020. Well, now it's 2023. Yeah, just like everything else, there is that blasted Covid thing. Seriously, my opinion is that there was enough push-back by the public that it was excessive. Also, there was a lot of misunderstanding of what it was and no one was willing to come out (say, on TV or the internet) to explain that it wasn't a big deal. AND even the DMV didn't get it - and still doesn't. I mentioned that my DMV asked for MORE stuff. I told them to go stuff it and they slunk back.

My point, if I'm making one: (So far) WE (you know, the "people") still run the country. Maybe we're not all that good at it sometimes and it's messy as heck, but we can still tell gummint what we want, how things should be, when to quit bothering us or just "stuff it!" I would suggest we keep it that way, but as always, YMMV.

 

[braumeister]

However, I will carry my Global Entry card, as it has my TSA precheck attached.

TSA Precheck is always shown on my boarding pass, whether on paper or on my phone. As long as the airline has your preferred traveler number they will include Precheck.
And now that GE is transitioning to facial recognition, I think carrying the card will become a thing of the past.

 

[USGrant1962]

TSA Precheck is always shown on my boarding pass, whether on paper or on my phone. As long as the airline has your preferred traveler number they will include Precheck.
And now that GE is transitioning to facial recognition, I think carrying the card will become a thing of the past.

Yes, unless your boarding pass says Precheck TSA won't accept it for the Precheck line. I saw them deny someone with a GE card just last month. They said it must be on the boarding pass - go see the airline.

 

[MichaelB]

Yes, unless your boarding pass says Precheck TSA won't accept it for the Precheck line. I saw them deny someone with a GE card just last month. They said it must be on the boarding pass - go see the airline.

This is odd, because GE includes TSA PreCheck. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequent...-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other

TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry are both Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trusted Traveler Programs. TSA PreCheck® provides expedited security screening benefits for flights departing from U.S. Airports. Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers when entering the United States. Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership. For more information on all of the DHS Trusted Traveler Programs use the DHS interactive Trusted Traveler Tool.

 

[braumeister]

This is odd, because GE includes TSA PreCheck.

Not odd, because Precheck is what appears on your boarding pass. There are multiple ways to get it, GE being one of them.

The point is simply that it must be on your boarding pass, the airline is who puts it there, and you providing your trusted traveler number to the airline is how they know to do it.

 

[cathy63]

This is odd, because GE includes TSA PreCheck. https://www.tsa.gov/travel/frequent...-between-global-entry-tsa-precheckr-and-other

Not all airlines participate in precheck. Here's the list that do: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/participating-airlines

Even for those, your KTN has to be on your reservation before your boarding pass is printed so it can be validated with TSA. If your reservation doesn't have a validated KTN, your boarding pass won't say TSA Pre and you won't get precheck unless its by random assignment or special circumstances*. You can't get it by showing your GE card to the TSA guy at the ID check. At that point, the GE card is just an ID and doesn't get you anything more than a driver's license would.

*e.g. my 87 yr old mother gets it when she travels on the same reservation with me and DH. I guess between her age and our having KTNs, they figure she's a low risk.

 

[Aerides]

Yes, unless your boarding pass says Precheck TSA won't accept it for the Precheck line. I saw them deny someone with a GE card just last month. They said it must be on the boarding pass - go see the airline.

This is how it works. One time the airline or my work travel messed something up, and when I printed my pass the TSA Pre check mark was missing. Didn't matter that I am Pre. Spent several calls to the airline to correct it for the return flight, but no go, the entire record locator was wrong from the start, no way to fix.

*e.g. my 87 yr old mother gets it when she travels on the same reservation with me and DH. I guess between her age and our having KTNs, they figure she's a low risk.

I have the pre-check, DH does not, but I always do our travel bookings. And when we fly together, since I'm primary, we both get the pre check service.

 

[OldShooter]

This is how it works. One time the airline or my work travel messed something up, and when I printed my pass the TSA Pre check mark was missing. Didn't matter that I am Pre. ...

At some point I remember being told that PreCheck passengers couldn't count 100% on seeing it on every boarding pass. Some kind of statistical thing where they want to inspect us once in a while.

That is DW and my experience; once in a while we are put with the proles.

 

[CardsFan]

I think that is a reasonable approach for those of us who rarely or never use air travel domestically. For international travel you need a passport anyway, so I don’t actually see any particular benefit of REAL ID. Unless, of course, ID additional processes (banks, liquor stores, etc) start requiring it. So far, that hasn’t happened as far as I know.

Rant Warning!

Seems the local gas station had a problem selling to beer to minors and now EVERYONE must be carded (I am 67!). BUT, this is not just "let me see your ID". They scan the back. I have no idea what info is in that code, or what the gas station is doing with it, but I don't like it, and go elsewhere.

 

[Koolau]

Not odd, because Precheck is what appears on your boarding pass. There are multiple ways to get it, GE being one of them.

The point is simply that it must be on your boarding pass, the airline is who puts it there, and you providing your trusted traveler number to the airline is how they know to do it.

Heh, heh, can you imagine going back to the ticket/check in area to get your boarding pass "fixed" so that you can do Pre-Check?

Just one more reason to hate the airlines. They can't even get the Pre-check onto your boarding pass. The good news for the airlines is that Amtrak is a joke. Busses - never mind. Driving? Fugidaboudit.

Wasn't it Ernestine (Lily Tomlin) on Laugh In saying "We're the phone company. We don't have to care." Well look what happened to THE phone company. Now, we need to pass that phrase over to the airlines.

We're the Air Lines. We don't have to care. If you whine, we'll sic the TSA and Air Marshals on your a$$! Can you say "No Fly List"?

https://vimeo.com/355556831

 

[OldShooter]

... Seems the local gas station had a problem selling to beer to minors and now EVERYONE must be carded (I am 67!). BUT, this is not just "let me see your ID". They scan the back. I have no idea what info is in that code, or what the gas station is doing with it, but I don't like it, and go elsewhere.

I read about this, where businesses could get customer information including address from the mag stripe. So when I get a new DL, the first thing I do is to thoroughly go over the stripe with a strong magnet. On the very rare occasion where someone tries to scan it, they say "This license won't scan." and I say "Gee, I don't know why that would be." Game over.