Is Your Passport Real ID Compliant?

By 2020, domestic flight or entry into certain federal buildings requires Real ID compliant documents as mandated by a 2005 law requiring states to create IDs with enhanced security features – proof of identity and legal residency documents; counterfeit-resistant designs and more.

Real ID could become the standard document required for job applications, renting apartments, paying with credit cards, receiving prescriptions or voting. Critics worry that non-compliant documents might signal illegal activities or indicate an individual is undocumented.

Problematically, getting Real ID can be both challenging and expensive for migrants. Not only must you pay an application fee to obtain it; you must also submit various documents proving your identity, address and other essential details as well as submit to fingerprinting and take a passport photo that costs $30 – this process alone could take months!

But getting a Real ID card isn’t impossible, and states like New York offer enhanced licenses that work for air travel and other purposes without needing a passport. While adults must pay $150, and wait longer to receive their ID cards than with traditional passport books; you could also opt for an electronic passport card accepted by Transportation Security Administration which would cost far less to acquire than traditional ones.