Real ID goes into effect in Minnesota on October 1, 2020, about a year away.
State safety officials are spreading the message to not procrastinate and end up missing travel plans or worse, being turned away for a domestic flight at the airport.
They say to start now with the online pre-application, since it takes extra time to process the additional documents needed to show U.S. citizenship and Minnesota residence, as well as more time at the office.
"Be prepared when you come in to wait longer because it takes longer to help each person who has a Real ID," Gaye Smith, manager of the South St. Paul driver's license station said.
Examples of documents needed are a birth certificate, Social Security card, and utility bill/bank statement/etc.
A passport/passport card or Enhanced Drivers' License will still work after the October 1, 2020 deadline for domestic air travel, but current standard licenses will not. Real ID was approved by Congress in 2005 in response to 9/11, allowing security agencies to better detect who is passing through airports.
Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says they want to avoid a major backlog
"There are only about 10 percent of Minnesotans that are Real ID-ready," he said. "That means we have a lot of work and a lot of ground to cover."
