OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – In less than a year, Oklahomans will need to have a REAL ID in order to fly in the United States or visit certain federal buildings.
It’s a saga that has been going on for more than 15 years.
The REAL ID Act was put in place in 2005 to improve the reliability of state-issued ID’s, making it harder for terrorists to obtain fake identification.
As part of the REAL ID Act, federal agencies, like TSA, are prohibited from accepting state-issued IDs that don’t meet federal minimum standards, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
In 2007, Oklahoma passed a law that said our state wouldn’t comply with the REAL ID Act, citing concerns about how residents’ information was stored.
Over the last few years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has given Oklahoma several extensions to meet the requirements in the REAL ID Act.
In 2017, House Bill 1845 was signed into law, which would give Oklahomans the choice of either getting a REAL ID-compliant license or keeping their current Oklahoma driver’s license.
As the coronavirus pandemic wreaked havoc on the world, the deadline for compliance was extended from Oct. 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023.
Now, that deadline is approaching.
If you don’t have a REAL ID by the current federal deadline of May 3, 2023, you won’t be able to fly domestically, visit certain federal facilities, or enter a nuclear power plant.
Oklahomans will need to provide proof of identity, proof of Social Security number, and two proofs of residency in order to obtain a REAL ID.
Here is an Oklahoma Highway Patrol Checklist:
What Oklahoma requires for proof of identity
Oklahomans will be able to use a variety of documents to prove their identity. The following documents are accepted in the Sooner State:
- Original or Certified U.S. Birth Certificate issued by the state in which you were born
- Unexpired U.S. Passport
- U.S. Naturalization/Citizenship Certificate
- Valid, unexpired foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa and valid I-94 issued by DHS
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Unexpired U.S. Permanent Resident Card
- Unexpired U.S. Employment Authorization Card
Oklahomans need to provide one proof of identity.
What Oklahoma requires for proof of address
Officials say your address used on your REAL ID application must be shown on each residency document. Applicants who are under the age of 18 may use documents with a parent or legal guardian’s name.
Oklahomans will need two of the following to prove residency:
- Driver’s license or ID card
- Utility bill (electric, land or cell phone, gas/oil/propane, water, sewer, cable/satellite)
- Any correspondence delivered by the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx or UPS. Junk mail will not be accepted.
- W-2 or any type of 1099
- OK voter registration card
- Statement from bank or other financial institution (savings or checking, mortgage, auto or other installment loan)
- Copy of federal or OK tax return
- USCIS form DS-2019, I-20 or I-797
- Copy of lease signed by tenant and property owner
- Homeowner’s, renter’s, life, health, or vehicle insurance policy or statement
- Property tax statement
- OK state, city, or county sales tax or business license
- OK handgun license
- OK Agriculture Tax Exemption card
- Pilot’s license
- Social Security Administration correspondence
- TSA HAZMAT or other TSA correspondence
- Military correspondence
- Oklahoma school or education institution transcript or enrollment record
- Oklahoma deed or land title
- Public assistance correspondence
- Correspondence from homeless shelter, halfway house or transitional service provider
- OK professional trade license issued by governmental agency.
Officials stress that even if you are renewing your license, you will need to show those documents. If you don’t have those documents on hand, state leaders say you should start working to obtain them as quickly as possible.
To learn more about what you’ll need, visit the REAL ID website.