Sen. Alexander gives update on REAL ID in SC

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted South Carolina’s request for an implementation extension to become REAL ID compliant. In the meantime, the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles is working towards certification to issue REAL ID licenses and IDs. The state anticipates being fully compliant and issuing REAL ID licenses and IDs during the first quarter of 2018, says State Senator Thomas Alexander. “It’s been a long time and coming, we’ve resisted it in South Carolina and we have taken an approach, it will become available to resident early in 2018, but it is not a mandate or a requirement. Some states have said you have to become REAL ID compliant, even Georgia and I think North Carolina. We’ve taken the approach that it is available to you. The grace period has been extended through, I think Oct. 10, 2018, with another hopefully extension after that but a year at a time is as far as they will go providing those extensions. But really there are three key reasons that you may want to become REAL ID compliant and it is all about convience for teh citizens of the state of South Carolina; if your going to fly on an airplane domestic or international, if you are going into a federal building or if you are going into a military installation. So, those are the three areas that really if you a need for a REAL ID then that we make it a lot more easy for you.” The U.S. Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 as a result of the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to standardize government-issued identifications, like driver’s licenses. To learn more about the REAL ID, visit www.scdmvonline.com/Driver-Services/Drivers-License/REAL-ID.