Lawndale Tribune
The Weekly Newspaper of Lawndale
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Google recently brought augmented reality via Google Expressions to enhance learning and engage Will Rogers and Jane Addams Middle School students. Lawndale Elementary School District. Photo
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DMV Ready with TSA-Compliant Driver’s Licenses
By Rob McCarthy
includes a valid U.S. or foreign governmentissued
A new driver’s license is coming to
passport or U.S. passport card, or
California, starting on Jan. 22 when the
Department of Motor Vehicles begins offering
a federally accepted identification card that
meets Homeland Security requirements at
airports. But there’s no need to rush to the
nearest DMV office to apply for one. Current
driving licenses and identification cards will
be accepted at TSA airport checkpoints until
Oct. 1, 2020, according to the DMV.
Even after that date, TSA agents will allow
passengers to board domestic flights if they
produce photo identification other than a
driver’s license, the DMV explained ahead
of the Jan. 22 implementation of REAL ID.
“If a customer has another federally approved
identification, does not fly, or does not plan
to visit a military base or certain federal
facilities, they do not need a REAL ID and
will have the option to apply for a federal
non-compliant driver license or ID card,”
according to a DMV announcement issued
in mid-November.
California for several years postponed
implementing the federal REAL ID. Congress
in 2005 passed a law requiring all states to
comply with post-9/11 security requirements
for driver’s licenses and ID cards for airline
passengers and visitors to a federal building
or military base. California was one of the
states that received two-year extensions from
the federal government.
The consequence for not meeting the federal
deadline of Jan. 1, 2018, was that passengers
from California would have been required
immediately to show an alternative form of
acceptable identification at TSA checkpoints,
according to the Department of Homeland
Security’s website.
Other acceptable forms of federal
identification for anyone without a REAL ID
a military ID, according to authorities. A
permanent-resident or border-crossing card,
and a Department of Homeland Security
Trusted Traveler card also are valid.
Children under 18 aren’t required to get the
new identification cards. TSA does not require
minors to provide identification when traveling
with a companion within the United States.
Drivers can wait for their renewal notices
to arrive before applying for the federally
compliant licenses, department spokesman
Jaime Garza noted. Applications for REAL
ID must be made in person and cannot be
processed by mail. Applicants are advised
to save time by scheduling an appointment.
Renewals of REAL ID licenses or
identification cards can be done by mail or
online, and won’t require an in-office visit
every five years. The same applies to the
identification cards, which are good for six
years for adults under 62, and 10 years for
seniors.
To apply and obtain the TSA-approved
license or ID card, state residents must have
a copy of a U.S. birth certificate, a valid
U.S. passport, a foreign passport, or a work
permit or permanent residency card. Other
documents needed to process a REAL ID
application include proof of Social Security
card, proof of California residency and a court
document approving a name change due to
marriage or divorce.
People who never fly or visit a secure federal
facility or military base don’t need a REAL ID
driver license or ID card, according to DMV
officials. A federally compliant driver’s license
isn’t needed to drive in California, vote, enter
a post office, or apply and receive federal
benefits, the DMV assures the public.
“The DMV wants to make sure our
customers are informed about their choices
starting in January 2018,” DMV Director
Jean Shiomoto said. “If you choose to apply
for a REAL ID, consider waiting until your
renewal date, if possible.”
The DMV’s rollout campaign emphasizes
frequent flyers stand to gain from choosing the
new-type of ID. A sample of the new license
shows the word “USA” printed at the top.
A golden bear has been added in the upper
corner of the card.
The cost of a federally compliant license
versus a traditional California one is the same:
$35. A DMV-issued identification card is $30
for either type, according to Garza with the
DMV headquarters in Sacramento.
The DMV has created a page with frequently
asked questions at www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/
detail/realid/realidfaq. Anyone who plans to
visit a military base or federal facility should
ask about their identification requirements,
just in case.
One more thing …
Airline passenger identification isn’t the only
change coming in January for the state’s drivers.
The department has begun collecting a new car
registration fee to fix California’s aging roads
and highway system. Lawmakers last year
approved a Transportation Improvement Fee
as part of a 10-year statewide road repair plan
that also raised gasoline taxes after Halloween.
The improvement fee is based on a vehicle’s
current value and could increase annual vehicle
registration from $25 to $175 this year. An
automobile worth $25,000 or less would incur
a $50 TIF. A car valued between $25,000
and $34,999 would be subject to a $100 fee.
The fee jumps to $175 for vehicles worth
$60,000 or more.
Customers with a vehicle renewal due in
early January saw the fee on their 2018 notice
from the DMV. •
Certified & Licensed
Professionals.......................5
Classifieds............................3
Community Brief.................3
Film Review..........................2
Finance..................................7
Food.......................................5
Hawthorne Happenings....3
Legals................................ 6-7
Looking Up...........................6
Pets........................................8
Politically Speaking............4
Seniors..................................2
Sports....................................4
Weekend
Forecast
Friday
Partly
Cloudy
67˚/56˚
Saturday
Partly
Cloudy
75˚/56˚
Sunday
Mostly
Sunny
73˚/54˚
AND lAwNDAle News
Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - January 11, 2018