COLUMBUS – Effective October 1, 2021, the state-issued identification that airline passengers present at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening checkpoints for boarding a commercial airline must be REAL ID compliant.
Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency declaration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021.
In an effort to raise awareness about the upcoming REAL ID deadline, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will have interactive kiosks located inside the John Glenn International Airport in Columbus, where customers may enter their driver license number to find out if they have the compliant or standard driver license. Also at the kiosks, customers can build a personalized list of documents needed to obtain their compliant driver license and email the list to themselves.
“The BMV’s presence at the airport will be a new and innovative way to reach Ohio travelers where they are. Travelers who are in a hurry can also snap the QR code from the sign at the kiosks so they can build their own document checklist while they are waiting at their gate,” said Ohio BMV Registrar Charles Norman.
“We’re proud to partner with the State of Ohio in raising awareness about the new REAL ID requirements for air travel,” said Joseph R. Nardone, President & CEO of the Columbus Regional Airport Authority. “With only a year to go before the deadline, we’re confident these kiosks will educate our customers and provide valuable information.”
To obtain the federally compliant driver license/identification card (DL/ID), customers will need to provide documents that prove the following: full legal name, date of birth, legal presence, social security number (SSN) and two proofs of Ohio residency. If the customer’s name has changed and is not the same as what is listed on their birth certificate, they will need to provide proof of name change. Commonly, this includes the customer’s birth certificate or US passport, SSN card or W2. Customers can use the interactive acceptable documents checklist to help determine the specific documents they will need to take with them to obtain their DL/ID.
Customers should also take advantage of the “Get in Line, Online” virtual queuing system, which allows them to advance in line without physically waiting in the office. After checking in online, customers have a four-hour window to arrive at the deputy registrar location, check in at a self-service kiosk, and claim their spot in line.
