No REAL ID? That'll be $45.

[hardcorestitch]

It’s going up to $45 on February 1.

TSA announces $45 fee for travelers with no REAL ID

Wow they really want you to get it now.

 

[Genie+]

I have 2+ years until my NJ driver’s license needs to be renewed. It is not Real ID compliant. From what I’ve read it will not be mandatory to upgrade. My passport was used to fly domestically this year.

Will I upgrade during my license renewal in 2027? Maybe, maybe not

 

[Debbie Jean]

Just for kicks I went into the NJ DMV REAL ID appointment website and there are now lots of slots open… most are after February 11th but hey, I guess we’re making progress! LOL

Even with the appointment though it doesn’t solve the misery of a 3 hour wait and having documents rejected. I did finally get mine, but I had no problem with flying on my passport.

 

[China Expat]

If you wish to get cleared at the airport and you are a woman with a different last name from your birth certificate, you must bering your birth certificate and marriage license. Men get a pass, I guess.

 

[sam_gordon]

If you wish to get cleared at the airport and you are a woman with a different last name from your birth certificate, you must bering your birth certificate and marriage license. Men get a pass, I guess.

No. If a man shows up at the airport and you have a different last name from your BC and you don't have a Real ID, you need to have your BC and whatever form showing the name change. Or at least I assume. How often does that happen?

 

[Mommb]

If you wish to get cleared at the airport and you are a woman with a different last name from your birth certificate, you must bering your birth certificate and marriage license. Men get a pass, I guess.

Anyone whose travel documents don't match their identify documents would need to show evidence of a name change. It's just that women are more likely than men to have a different name.

I have 2+ years until my NJ driver’s license needs to be renewed. It is not Real ID compliant. From what I’ve read it will not be mandatory to upgrade. My passport was used to fly domestically this year.

Will I upgrade during my license renewal in 2027? Maybe, maybe not

If you show a valid passport, you don't need a Real ID to fly -- that is still the case. The new fee will apply only to people who do not have any of the "approved" US travel documents. If you're willing to carry your passport every time you fly or visit government facilities, then you can get by without a Real ID.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If you wish to get cleared at the airport and you are a woman with a different last name from your birth certificate, you must bering your birth certificate and marriage license. Men get a pass, I guess.

Name changes due to adoption, legal name change, marriage or divorce count. Yes more women are likely impacted due to more norms to change their last name due to marriage which is a common reason for having different names BUT it's not a pass for men. It affects anyone whose name doesn't match here.

 

[tvguy]

Name changes due to adoption, legal name change, marriage or divorce count. Yes more women are likely impacted due to more norms to change their last name due to marriage which is a common reason for having different names BUT it's not a pass for men. It affects anyone whose name doesn't match here.

My wife didn't even take her Birth Certificate. She just used her Passport. Not sure what she had to do to get her married name on her Passport, but that was 43 years ago.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My wife didn't even take her Birth Certificate. She just used her Passport. Not sure what she had to do to get her married name on her Passport, but that was 43 years ago.

I didn't need my birth certificate to get my REAL ID but that was because I showed my passport with my married name and my DL with my married name. To get my passport in my married name I needed to provide my old passport that was in my maiden name and a certified copy of my marriage license. To get my passport in my maiden name I needed my birth certificate. So you can see the prior steps were already made down the line.

The point was with the prior conversation is whatever reason you have differing names for means you have to show the chain for that change. It can still catch individuals who long ago went to a different name and have some necessary documents but not all as they are looking for why that name change occurred (and then you'd provide the appropriate documents that correspond with that).

It's all about matching documents. What document you provide may have needed other proof such as me mentioning having a passport in my maiden name and then getting a passport in my married name I had to show appropriate documentation when sending off my passport to get the new one that showed why I was needing a different name on the passport.

 

[leebee]

I just checked. The soonest I can get a RealID in Bangor, ME, is February 9th. I'm going to wait until I have to renew my license next summer. Until then, I'll carry my passport when I travel.

 

[tvguy]

I didn't need my birth certificate to get my REAL ID but that was because I showed my passport with my married name and my DL with my married name. To get my passport in my married name I needed to provide my old passport that was in my maiden name and a certified copy of my marriage license. To get my passport in my maiden name I needed my birth certificate. So you can see the prior steps were already made down the line.

The point was with the prior conversation is whatever reason you have differing names for means you have to show the chain for that change. It can still catch individuals who long ago went to a different name and have some necessary documents but not all as they are looking for why that name change occurred (and then you'd provide the appropriate documents that correspond with that).

It's all about matching documents. What document you provide may have needed other proof such as me mentioning having a passport in my maiden name and then getting a passport in my married name I had to show appropriate documentation when sending off my passport to get the new one that showed why I was needing a different name on the passport.

Correct. There is an extra step for anyone with a name change. And if the person does not have the documents on hand needed for that step, they are the type of documents that are easy to get copies of. Birth certificates, marriage and divorce paperwork, all publicly recorded.

 

[china mom]

Correct. There is an extra step for anyone with a name change. And if the person does not have the documents on hand needed for that step, they are the type of documents that are easy to get copies of. Birth certificates, marriage and divorce paperwork, all publicly recorded.

Assuming you got married or were born in the US. The rest of us just have to be responsible for keeping our documents - which has not been a problem for me over the past 30 years .

But, yes, for most people, its not a big deal.

*although there is no requirement to file any documents in the US for DD, we did take the step of registering her foreign birth with our state in case anything were to ever happen to her original documents. Her state issued "registration of foreign birth" carries the same weight as a birth certificate and can be easily replaced if needed. Her originals...not so much.

 

[mjkacmom]

Anyone whose travel documents don't match their identify documents would need to show evidence of a name change. It's just that women are more likely than men to have a different name.


If you show a valid passport, you don't need a Real ID to fly -- that is still the case. The new fee will apply only to people who do not have any of the "approved" US travel documents. If you're willing to carry your passport every time you fly or visit government facilities, then you can get by without a Real ID.

A passport IS real ID.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Correct. There is an extra step for anyone with a name change. And if the person does not have the documents on hand needed for that step, they are the type of documents that are easy to get copies of. Birth certificates, marriage and divorce paperwork, all publicly recorded.

I would agree that many can get the documents but there are unfortunately also cases where things haven't been digitally transferred and uploaded by the county which affects the ease and in some really unfortunate cases fire or floods have destroyed such records and the other unfortunate part is when processes were done differently many years ago. I mean some people could easily find the more novelty hospital birth certificate but obtaining the official and certified copy of it more elusive.

The more recent someone's name change is the less reasons they will legitimately have to not be able to obtain the paperwork.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

A passport IS real ID.

It's a play on semantics here but in terms of what's being required by the government a passport not a REAL ID but one of the acceptable documents/IDs one can provide that is compliant with the information being required by the Act. In terms of what they are referring to a REAL ID is a driver's license or non-driver's license ID. Your passport is generally going to be described as an acceptable form of ID that meets the REAL ID Act requirements but is not generally going to be described as a REAL ID (which is reserved mostly for the DL/non-DL in general to the public at large).

TSA's website provides a pretty good description "Starting May 7, 2025, every state and territory resident will need to present a REAL ID compliant license/ID, or another acceptable form of identification, for accessing federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and boarding commercial aircraft. The card, itself, must be REAL ID compliant unless the resident is using an alternative acceptable document such as a passport. The Act does not require individuals to present identification where it is not currently required to access a federal facility (such as to enter the public areas of the Smithsonian) nor does it prohibit an agency from accepting other forms of identity documents (such as a U.S. passport or passport card)."

 

[Dug720]

I have 2+ years until my NJ driver’s license needs to be renewed. It is not Real ID compliant. From what I’ve read it will not be mandatory to upgrade. My passport was used to fly domestically this year.

Will I upgrade during my license renewal in 2027? Maybe, maybe not

The passport is certainly valid. But what will you do if you have to fly while your passport is being renewed? Even if you do it online, your old passport is no longer valid once you submit your application. Obviously you can PLAN trips around it, but what about an emergency situation?

That's why I went ahead and upgraded early in NY. My last renewal was during shutdown, so it was done by mail and there was no way to upgrade. I looked at my expiration dates - passport in 2027, DL in 2028. Given that my parents live in another state and flying is my only way to get there, I didn't want to chance being caught without my DL being upgraded while my passport was out for renewal, so I just went ahead and did it. At least in NY it was just an upgrade - I paid a reduced fee and the expiration date remains the same as it was.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Correct. There is an extra step for anyone with a name change. And if the person does not have the documents on hand needed for that step, they are the type of documents that are easy to get copies of. Birth certificates, marriage and divorce paperwork, all publicly recorded.

Yup, well not in all cases. Tried to get a copy of my birth certificate from Delaware only to find out that at 73 years old, it had been archived! LOL whole different lengthy process… boy did that make me feel old! I actually found a copy in an old file, but really?

I was dealing with variations in name, marriage and divorce which had been handled differently on my passport and drivers license. Nothing about this is easy in NJ so I elected to go with my passport to travel… waited until I retired and had the time to take on the NJ-DMV!

 

[mjkacmom]

The passport is certainly valid. But what will you do if you have to fly while your passport is being renewed? Even if you do it online, your old passport is no longer valid once you submit your application. Obviously you can PLAN trips around it, but what about an emergency situation?

That's why I went ahead and upgraded early in NY. My last renewal was during shutdown, so it was done by mail and there was no way to upgrade. I looked at my expiration dates - passport in 2027, DL in 2028. Given that my parents live in another state and flying is my only way to get there, I didn't want to chance being caught without my DL being upgraded while my passport was out for renewal, so I just went ahead and did it. At least in NY it was just an upgrade - I paid a reduced fee and the expiration date remains the same as it was.

Again, it’s been very difficult to do this in NJ. Fortunately my passport card expires in 2030. From what I can see, the documents needed don’t seem to exceed what NJ requires for a regular license, thats the easy part. I’ll do it the next time my license expires.

 

[tvguy]

Assuming you got married or were born in the US. The rest of us just have to be responsible for keeping our documents - which has not been a problem for me over the past 30 years .

But, yes, for most people, its not a big deal.

*although there is no requirement to file any documents in the US for DD, we did take the step of registering her foreign birth with our state in case anything were to ever happen to her original documents. Her state issued "registration of foreign birth" carries the same weight as a birth certificate and can be easily replaced if needed. Her originals...not so much.

Oh, trust me, I know. My wife was born overseas while her dad was in the military. Both her parents were US citizens, but she was born at a foreign private hospital, but the US Military had no medical facilities at the post her dad was assigned to.
So, even though under the law she is a "birth right" US citizen, somehow she ended up with Naturalization Papers that list the nation of her birth, but also say she was born a U.S. Citizen. The fact that she has had a Passport, and has kept it active, and updated her name when we got married probably helped. But it did cause her some concern when she applied for Medicare and then Social Security but those agencies didn't care.

 

[tvguy]

Yup, well not in all cases. Tried to get a copy of my birth certificate from Delaware only to find out that at 73 years old, it had been archived! LOL whole different lengthy process… boy did that make me feel old! I actually found a copy in an old file, but really?

I was dealing with variations in name, marriage and divorce which had been handled differently on my passport and drivers license. Nothing about this is easy in NJ so I elected to go with my passport to travel… waited until I retired and had the time to take on the NJ-DMV!

Did you have any issues with Medicare or Social Security?