Sate IDs are quite different and have been since they were established, but a few years ago, in 2005, Congress passed a law, the REAL ID Act that aimed to unify the way these are designed in every state in order to avoid security concerns.
The Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses” and “established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. These purposes are:
- Accessing certain federal facilities
- Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft
- Entering nuclear power plants”
But even though this Act was passed in 2005, it is only now that it has become fully compulsory for Americans to have a REAL ID, as the goal was also to give enough time to states to not just adjust, but also to renew all their citizen’s IDs.
How the compulsory roll out of the REAL ID is going in California
Despite having had a very long time to roll out the program, so states still have residents that do not have a REAL ID as their valid form of ID, and since now it is compulsory at the federal level, some are scrambling to keep up. This is the case in California, where citizens are being encouraged to apply for their new ID card and some of them will even be able to get it for free.
This will not be the case for every resident, those who have to renew their ID like usual will have to their normal fee at the DMV, but there is a certain deal for residents of the state, that, as long as they meet some criteria, means that they will not have to pay. The first group that my qualify to get their REAL ID for free is low-income individuals. Those who are part of a government or nonprofit assistance program and meet the income guidelines might be eligible for a free Real ID card. To make it official, they will need to fill out and present a form called the Zero-Fee Identification Card Verification Form, also known as DL 937, when they go to the DMV. That document will basically act as a ticket to getting the ID without having to pull out any money.
The second group that qualifies for a free REAL ID are those considered “homeless” under the McKinney-Vento Act. This law has a specific definition for homelessness and includes not just adults but also minors without stable housing as well as kids and teens escaping domestic violence. So if someone falls into that category, they can also get their REAL ID without any cost. Other homeless individuals will not be able to get their ID because of their lack of valid address.
Since this is now a compulsory document, the DMV has put forth some provisions in order to make it easier for those who do not have it to be able to get it quickly and on time, this is especially true for those who do not have the means to pay for it.
Just remember that, if you are not sure if you have a REAL ID already, your card should have one of the following markings on the upper top portion of the card. If the card does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and will not be accepted as proof of identity.
The markings are:
- A gold stat
- A black star
- A gold circle with a white star
- A black circle with a white star
- A gold bear with a white star