By Dan Murphy
A letter from one of our readers gives us the opportunity to remind our readers about the need to get a Real ID.
Beginning Oct. 1, the federal government will require your driver license, permit or ID card to be REAL ID compliant if you wish to use it as identification to board a domestic flight (within the U.S.), or enter military bases and certain federal facilities.
The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing REAL ID licenses, permits, and ID cards Oct. 30, 2017. You can get a REAL ID at any time, but you will need to go to a DMV office. You cannot get a REAL ID online, by phone, or through the mail.
Here is a legitimate concern from one of our readers, Phil Foley from Yonkers: “I want to get a Real ID from the NYS DMV but I have difficulty standing for a long period of time because of my age,” he said. “And lately, since New York passed a law giving undocumented residents or illegal aliens the right to get a driver’s license, the lines outside the DMV in Yonkers have been around the block.
“It is my understanding that I cannot get a Real ID online. So I ask your help in bringing this problem to the attention of the DMV or our elected officials. Will any courtesy be given to persons who cannot physically wait in line?”
Thanks, Mr. Foley, for your letter and for bringing this to our attention. By highlighting the need for a Real ID now, it allows all of us to plan out a time to wait in line and be aware of the Oct. 1 deadline, especially if we are traveling on an airplane.
And you are correct about the long lines – and not just at the Yonkers DMV. In northern Westchester, the Peekskill DMV had a line going out of the building, something I had never seen before last month. Fortunately, I was able to go home and do my DMV transaction online.
In order to get your Real ID, you must bring to the office the following original or certified proof documents:
Proof of identity, such as a valid license, birth certificate or passport, with your full first, middle (if applicable) and last name. This name, as it appears on your proof of identity, will be displayed on your card as required by federal law.
Proof of Social Security number or Social Security number ineligibility. If you have a valid New York license, permit or ID card, you must bring your original Social Security card or W-2 with full SSN. If you do not have a NYS driver’s license or identification card, you must bring your Social Security card or a letter from the Social Security Administration proving your ineligibility to have a Social Security number. If you lost your Social Security card, you must get a duplicate before you come to the DMV. The Social Security Administration website has more information on obtaining a duplicate card.
Proof of your date of birth.
Proof of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency or temporary lawful status in the U.S.
Two different proofs of NYS residence such as a utility bill, bank statement or mortgage statement (P.O. Box not acceptable). This address will be displayed on your card.
If the name on your license, permit or non-driver ID application does not match the name on your identity, lawful status and Social Security proofs, you must bring in court or government issued proof(s) documenting the event(s) causing your name change(s), such as a marriage license(s), divorce decree(s), adoption or court order document(s).
The application process also requires the DMV to take a new photo.
Reports of long lines at the DMV on Long Island (a six-hour wait in Hauppauge), and in Putnam and Dutchess counties, and in New York City, mean the problem doesn’t only exist in Westchester.
Last December, New York became the 15th state in the nation to provide undocumented immigrants with the right to obtain a driver’s license and legally drive a vehicle. Last June, the State Legislature passed – and Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law – the Green Light Bill, which went into effect Dec. 14.
Across the state, Departments of Motor Vehicles saw a spike in applications for learner’s permits by 133 percent in the days after Green Light went into effect.
Undocumented immigrants, like all interested drivers, must first apply for a learner’s permit before they can take the test for a driver’s license.
To Mr. Foley, and all of our readers who are seniors or who may not be able to wait in line for hours, we will forward this story to our Westchester state senators and Assembly members to see if anything is being done, or can be done, to help.
