4 ms·

At a certain point, one has to suspect that it just ain't gonna happen.

toast0 4y ago
I certainly suspected it. I've declined to get a real ID everytime, because it seems like it won't actually be required, and if it is, I have a passport I could carry, and get a real ID for convenience at the next license renewal. In other words, why pay for it now, if it keeps getting pushed back, and likely will continue to get pushed back.
- rtkwe 4y ago
  Does it cost more for you? My state doesn't charge any more for them you just have to bring the extra documentation which in your case (in my state though I think the requirements are the same everywhere) would be your passport you already have.
  - matwood 4y ago
    Yeah, any new license or renewal in my state is a real id. I think it costs the same, but I wasn't sure since it was 10 years since the last time I renewed. Other than the hassle, is there a reason to not get the new id when license renewals come up?
    - rtkwe 4y ago
      It was barely a hassle when I did it but I also have a certified copy of my birth certificate already so it may be harder for people that have to go get that for the citizenship requirement. The more annoying thing was just finding and printing the address proofs NCDMV wants because most of my bills are digital or in my wife's name now.
  - canttestthis 4y ago
    WA charges extra, also people on non-immigrant visas cannot get them.
    - happyopossum 4y ago
      > also people on non-immigrant visas cannot get them Which kinda makes sense as this is intended to be a pseudo-federal ID, right?
      - belltaco 4y ago
        Not true, many states give Real IDs to non-immgrants.
    - olyjohn 4y ago
      Well in WA, we already switched to RealID-compliant driver's license numbers, even for standard licenses. Next time your license is renewed, take a look at your license. I didn't even notice this for months after I got my new one. I was filling out a form and I put down the old one since I had it memorized. You still can't use it to cross borders though. I'm sure this means we will have RealID-compliant cards as the norm here soon.
      - mynameisvlad 4y ago
        You can't use RealID-compliant cards to cross borders anyway, just for TSA and other federal ID checks. You can use EDLs. which are only issued by a few states. I don't think WA will release RealID-compliant cards, they would have already since, as you mentioned, they implemented other changes to comply with the act like random ID numbers and adding the "not valid for..." text. Most non-citizens will already have some form of RealID-compliant document, whether it's a foreign passport, green card, etc. Since the only added requirement for EIDs is citizenship, and since most non-citizens have RealIDs anyway, WADOT likely felt there wasn't enough justification to issue 6 different forms of ID to residents.
        Rimintil 4y ago
        EDLs/EIDs are Real ID. Standard WA DLs are NOT Real ID compliant. Notice they’re marked with “Federal limits apply”. That means they’re no good for air travel if Real ID goes into effect. Real IDs are good for land/sea travel for CA/MX. https://www.dol.wa.gov/about/real-id-faq.html https://www.dol.wa.gov/about/real-id-faq.html
  - muchosandwich 4y ago
    It cost slightly more for me in CA. And even then I got caught up in the whole DMV documentation snafu even though I brought a dozen identifying documents, so I had to get my REAL ID 3 times over, each at my own expense.
    - happyopossum 4y ago
      No - the costs are the same for any ID card, the only difference is if you jump through the extra hoops to have them issue a Real ID: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-fees/ https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification...
      - muchosandwich 4y ago
        When I did it, because they fucked up, I had to pay to retest as well which cost an additional $8. I was referencing my own personal experience and that it cost more in actuality.
  - jaywalk 4y ago
    My state is the same as long as you're doing it with a regular renewal. I did it last time I renewed my license, because I already had a passport. Even though it certainly seems that it'll never be enforced.
  - jcalvinowens 4y ago
    In my state (CA) I would have to actually show up to the DMV in person (normally you can renew online). That's inconvenient enough I'm never going to do it, if they start requiring "real ID" I'll just use my passport.
    - ZanyProgrammer 4y ago
      If you have to carry your passport around for things other than foreign travel there’s a greater risk of losing it.
      - jcalvinowens 4y ago
        I always travel with it, personally. It's useful in other ways too, for example people in rural parts of the US can be weird about out-of-state IDs (I look young...).
        kylehotchkiss 4y ago
        They can be weird about them but they can’t deny their legitimacy. Americans do have the right to cross state borders. In other countries during Covid, the ability to cross state/regional borders was denied. It made me appreciate the decisions made when founding the country a lot more.
        Jcowell 4y ago
        The problem the GP is talking about isn’t in regards to traveling and being denied. That’s not an issue in the US. The issue they would be talking about is what happens IN the state there traveling. For example a bar in Wisconsin could deny you because they don’t believe a Washington DC ID to be real.
      - ghaff 4y ago
        If I'm traveling by air, I usually carry my passport as backup ID--especially after somehow losing my license once between the car and the counter at the airport. My Global Entry card is probably sufficient backup to be honest but I also have backup credit cards etc. anyway.
  - toast0 4y ago
    I live in WA, so it (currently) costs $7/year extra for an enhanced drivers license. I'll just have an unreal ID, until the mandate is real for me.
    - mynameisvlad 4y ago
      There is an additional benefit with the EDL, which is that you can go up to Canada and back with just the EDL, since it also is proof of citizenship. Whether that is worth an additional $7/year is debatable, but it's similar to the price of a Passport Card, which is equivalent.
      - toast0 4y ago
        Could be useful, if I did that often (or at all, but it is on my list)
      - Rimintil 4y ago
        It’s more expensive than a Passport book or card. EDLs are only good for 5 years. US Passport is good for 10. WA EDL in 2024 will be $115. A US Passport Book is $130; a card is much cheaper.
        mynameisvlad 4y ago
        I mean, sure, but one is also your drivers license and costs $5/yr more than a standard license or ID. That’s really the price we should be comparing, because realistically people will have a drivers license or state ID that they would have had to renew. That’s also true for passports, but far more people have and use drivers licenses day to day.

I certainly suspected it. I've declined to get a real ID everytime, because it seems like it won't actually be required, and if it is, I have a passport I could carry, and get a real ID for convenience at the next license renewal. In other words, why pay for it now, if it keeps getting pushed back, and likely will continue to get pushed back.

rtkwe 4y ago
Does it cost more for you? My state doesn't charge any more for them you just have to bring the extra documentation which in your case (in my state though I think the requirements are the same everywhere) would be your passport you already have.
- matwood 4y ago
  Yeah, any new license or renewal in my state is a real id. I think it costs the same, but I wasn't sure since it was 10 years since the last time I renewed. Other than the hassle, is there a reason to not get the new id when license renewals come up?
  - rtkwe 4y ago
    It was barely a hassle when I did it but I also have a certified copy of my birth certificate already so it may be harder for people that have to go get that for the citizenship requirement. The more annoying thing was just finding and printing the address proofs NCDMV wants because most of my bills are digital or in my wife's name now.
- canttestthis 4y ago
  WA charges extra, also people on non-immigrant visas cannot get them.
  - happyopossum 4y ago
    > also people on non-immigrant visas cannot get them Which kinda makes sense as this is intended to be a pseudo-federal ID, right?
    - belltaco 4y ago
      Not true, many states give Real IDs to non-immgrants.
  - olyjohn 4y ago
    Well in WA, we already switched to RealID-compliant driver's license numbers, even for standard licenses. Next time your license is renewed, take a look at your license. I didn't even notice this for months after I got my new one. I was filling out a form and I put down the old one since I had it memorized. You still can't use it to cross borders though. I'm sure this means we will have RealID-compliant cards as the norm here soon.
    - mynameisvlad 4y ago
      You can't use RealID-compliant cards to cross borders anyway, just for TSA and other federal ID checks. You can use EDLs. which are only issued by a few states. I don't think WA will release RealID-compliant cards, they would have already since, as you mentioned, they implemented other changes to comply with the act like random ID numbers and adding the "not valid for..." text. Most non-citizens will already have some form of RealID-compliant document, whether it's a foreign passport, green card, etc. Since the only added requirement for EIDs is citizenship, and since most non-citizens have RealIDs anyway, WADOT likely felt there wasn't enough justification to issue 6 different forms of ID to residents.
      - Rimintil 4y ago
        EDLs/EIDs are Real ID. Standard WA DLs are NOT Real ID compliant. Notice they’re marked with “Federal limits apply”. That means they’re no good for air travel if Real ID goes into effect. Real IDs are good for land/sea travel for CA/MX. https://www.dol.wa.gov/about/real-id-faq.html https://www.dol.wa.gov/about/real-id-faq.html
- muchosandwich 4y ago
  It cost slightly more for me in CA. And even then I got caught up in the whole DMV documentation snafu even though I brought a dozen identifying documents, so I had to get my REAL ID 3 times over, each at my own expense.
  - happyopossum 4y ago
    No - the costs are the same for any ID card, the only difference is if you jump through the extra hoops to have them issue a Real ID: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/licensing-fees/ https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification...
    - muchosandwich 4y ago
      When I did it, because they fucked up, I had to pay to retest as well which cost an additional $8. I was referencing my own personal experience and that it cost more in actuality.
- jaywalk 4y ago
  My state is the same as long as you're doing it with a regular renewal. I did it last time I renewed my license, because I already had a passport. Even though it certainly seems that it'll never be enforced.
- jcalvinowens 4y ago
  In my state (CA) I would have to actually show up to the DMV in person (normally you can renew online). That's inconvenient enough I'm never going to do it, if they start requiring "real ID" I'll just use my passport.
  - ZanyProgrammer 4y ago
    If you have to carry your passport around for things other than foreign travel there’s a greater risk of losing it.
    - jcalvinowens 4y ago
      I always travel with it, personally. It's useful in other ways too, for example people in rural parts of the US can be weird about out-of-state IDs (I look young...).
      - kylehotchkiss 4y ago
        They can be weird about them but they can’t deny their legitimacy. Americans do have the right to cross state borders. In other countries during Covid, the ability to cross state/regional borders was denied. It made me appreciate the decisions made when founding the country a lot more.
        Jcowell 4y ago
        The problem the GP is talking about isn’t in regards to traveling and being denied. That’s not an issue in the US. The issue they would be talking about is what happens IN the state there traveling. For example a bar in Wisconsin could deny you because they don’t believe a Washington DC ID to be real.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      If I'm traveling by air, I usually carry my passport as backup ID--especially after somehow losing my license once between the car and the counter at the airport. My Global Entry card is probably sufficient backup to be honest but I also have backup credit cards etc. anyway.
- toast0 4y ago
  I live in WA, so it (currently) costs $7/year extra for an enhanced drivers license. I'll just have an unreal ID, until the mandate is real for me.
  - mynameisvlad 4y ago
    There is an additional benefit with the EDL, which is that you can go up to Canada and back with just the EDL, since it also is proof of citizenship. Whether that is worth an additional $7/year is debatable, but it's similar to the price of a Passport Card, which is equivalent.
    - toast0 4y ago
      Could be useful, if I did that often (or at all, but it is on my list)
    - Rimintil 4y ago
      It’s more expensive than a Passport book or card. EDLs are only good for 5 years. US Passport is good for 10. WA EDL in 2024 will be $115. A US Passport Book is $130; a card is much cheaper.
      - mynameisvlad 4y ago
        I mean, sure, but one is also your drivers license and costs $5/yr more than a standard license or ID. That’s really the price we should be comparing, because realistically people will have a drivers license or state ID that they would have had to renew. That’s also true for passports, but far more people have and use drivers licenses day to day.