NYS “Real ID” Celebrates 1-Year Anniversary, 1-Million Issued

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today marked the one-year anniversary of the REAL ID becoming available in New York. The state first offered the ID to customers on October 30, 2017. To date, more than one million New Yorkers have opted for a REAL ID-compliant driver license or non-driver ID. Beginning October 1, 2020, the federal REAL ID Act will require air travelers to have REAL ID-complaint documentation to fly within the United States. The Act already requires a REAL ID to enter certain federal buildings.

“We began offering the REAL ID three years before the federal law takes effect to give New Yorkers ample time to get one,” said Terri Egan, DMV Executive Deputy Commissioner. “Because of our successful early adoption of the REAL ID, we have even been asked by other states for helpful tips on implementing their own REAL ID. We will continue working hard to inform New Yorkers about the federal requirements, and we encourage anyone renewing or obtaining a license or non-driver ID for the first time to get a REAL ID and avoid a second trip to the DMV before October 2020.”

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