How to Get a Real ID Card in Washington

New federal rules take effect May 7, 2023, and by then standard Washington driver’s licenses and ID cards won’t be acceptable to board commercial flights or enter certain federal facilities.

However, anyone who needs their ID for federal purposes such as flying must obtain an enhanced driver’s license or ID card from the Department of Licensing – but that won’t be as simple – this requires visiting one of their offices and providing proof of identity, age and residency.

DOL strongly urges travelers to plan ahead when considering enhanced documents as an official form of identification, since fees for these enhanced documents will increase on Oct 1 as part of legislative action passed earlier this year in support of Move Ahead Washington. Fees for enhanced documents will go up starting Oct 1.

The new requirements aim to enhance security by mandating that states meet minimum standards for identification documents like driver’s licenses. These standards include more stringent verification before issuing them as well as advanced counterfeit-resistant features on documents themselves.