Get real. Get the REAL ID

With only a few months left until the May 7 federal enforcement deadline, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) is holding additional REAL ID Days events on Monday, March 31 to give Pennsylvanians additional opportunities to get a REAL ID.

“PennDOT is committed to making it as convenient as possible for Pennsylvanians to obtain a REAL ID if they want one,” said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton. “Because we’re seeing an increase in demand, we decided to offer our REAL ID Days as a way to ensure we are meeting the needs of the public and providing them with the best possible customer service.”

The local March 31 REAL ID Days will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Milford Driver License Center, 201 West Hartford Street, Route 6, Milford

Why you need one

While getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, more than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to get one. Beginning May 7, 2025, a REAL ID or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) will be required to:

Board domestic commercial flights.

Enter a military base.

Enter certain federal facilities that require a federally acceptable form of ID.

A valid passport will still be required for international travel.

Although a REAL ID or other TSA-acceptable form of ID will be needed to fly domestically beginning May 7, Pennsylvanians can apply for a REAL ID at any time – before, on or after the enforcement date – depending on their situation. REAL ID products are a permanent part of PennDOT’s services.

Customers visit driver license centers for numerous transactions other than REAL ID, and while some services do require an in-person visit, many online services are available through PennDOT’s website, www.pa.gov/dmv.

Some common transactions customers can complete online include change of address for non-commercial license and ID card holders, renewal and duplicates of non-commercial driver licenses and ID cards, paying a driver license restoration fee, and obtaining driver history records and restoration requirement letters.

For a complete list of services offered online, visit PennDOT’s website. There are no additional fees for using online services.

Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify the below documents:

When a customer gets their first REAL ID, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee (the current renewal fee is $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license and $42.50 for a photo ID).

The expiration date of their initial REAL ID will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won’t lose time that they’ve already paid for.

After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond regular renewal fees to renew a REAL ID product.

After customers present the proper documentation and pay the applicable fee, they may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:

Customers who received their first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit, or photo ID card after September 1, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT. These customers can apply for REAL ID pre-verification and order their REAL ID online.

For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website.