Arden Hills, Minnesota — We’re only 40 days (and counting) until Minnesotans must show a REAL ID to board a flight or enter a federal building.
And, as the May 7 REAL ID deadline approaches, state officials offer some advice on how to ensure you have all of your documents in order. And their first piece of advice: go online to review the document list and “verify” that you’ve already found the right forms.
“Then once we verify those and say, ‘Yep, the documents you have are great – these are good supporting documents,’ when you go to that location to apply, it takes a shorter time because you’re already approved,” said Jody-Kay Peterson, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Driver Services Program Director.
According to Peterson, one of the documents you’ll need is proof of your identity, date of birth, and legal presence in the United States. Peterson adds that you’ll need your Social Security number and two documents proving your current Minnesota residency.
Peterson adds that they have additional options for those in unusual circumstances, such as adult children who do not have a lease, mortgage, or utility bill in their name.
“They [can] have an employment paystub, a certified transcript from a U.S. high school, and a fishing license,” she said, adding that health insurance documents are also acceptable as long as they include the applicant’s name.
The key, according to Peterson, is to plan and check ahead of time. She also mentions that lines will vary depending on the location and time of day. And she advises those who do not need to board a plane or have access to federal buildings – including jails and military installations – in early May to wait until after the current rush.
“Right now, our turnaround is 47 days,” she said, adding that those who need to travel before then should look into other options, such as an expedited passport.
‘I’m on top of things, and I still got it wrong’
And, lest we think that due diligence is unnecessary, consider the case of Molly Koch.
Koch, a physical therapist and mother of two children under the age of four, came prepared to apply for a REAL ID.
“I brought two different statements, one from a bank, one from a credit card,” she said, rummaging through a file containing “at least 20 different sheets of paper.”
But, lo and behold, Koch discovered that two of those documents fell into the same category. So she returned to the Arden Hills DMV, this time armed with all of the necessary documents. That’s when she made another wonderful discovery.
“Do I already have a REAL ID? You have got to be kidding me. “I’m more on top of it than I thought,” she said, laughing at the DMV counter.
Koch’s advice for others? Make a plan ahead of time and leave room for surprises.
“I believe it is important to set expectations that you may need to return multiple times if you do not have everything in order. I consider myself to be very organized, and I believed I had all of the necessary documents. But I didn’t,” she admitted.