by Robyn Bryan, ALEA Robyn.Bryan@alea.gov

Chances are, you have seen national news stories during the past few weeks concerning something called a REAL ID.

Some of you, however, may have no idea what it is and why it’s important to learn more, particularly as the federal deadline of Oct. 1, 2020, draws near.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the ongoing threat of additional terrorist activity, and various immigration issues pertaining to terrorism. The legislation modified U.S. federal law on security, authentication and issuance procedure standards for state driver licenses and identification cards.

When the Department of Homeland Security rolled out its REAL ID plan, Alabama was one of the first states to join the effort and to develop its own version of the REAL ID.

In Alabama, it’s simply known as STAR ID — Secure, Trusted and Reliable Identification. (If your Alabama driver license or non-driver ID has a gold star in the top corner, you are set! If not, read on.)

What is now the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency introduced its STAR ID program in the fall of 2011 as a step beyond a standard driver license. By 2013, the state was fully compliant with the federal law. Although it is not mandatory in our state, the STAR ID will be required beginning in October of anyone 18 and older to board commercial domestic flights and to enter certain military bases and regulated federal facilities.

If you have a valid, unexpired U.S. passport, you are welcome to use it for domestic flights and to enter federal facilities, but it may be more convenient to obtain a STAR ID than lug around your passport.

Come October, those who do not possess a STAR ID or passport could be turned away at TSA unless they have another TSA-accepted form of identification for domestic air travel. (For a full list of acceptable identification, visit https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification)

First issuances of the STAR ID is only available at ALEA-run Driver License Examining Offices. License commissioners and probate offices will continue to offer renewals/duplicates for licenses, IDs and STAR IDs. To save time, appointments may be scheduled at some of the larger offices across the state at https://www.schedulealdl.com/SelfScheduler/Default.aspx. State employees who work in the Capitol complex in Montgomery are welcome to visit ALEA’s Driver License Reinstatement Office at 301 S. Ripley St., which recently added a STAR ID issuance station. It is open Monday through Friday and offers first-come, first-served assistance. Saturday service also is available at 11 of ALEA’s offices.

Prior to visiting one of ALEA’s offices, collect the following documents:

• State certified birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport
• Social Security card or a document with your name and full Social Security number
• Two documents verifying address of principal residence (voter registration card, vehicle registration, utility bills no older than 90 days, latest tax return, or any state or federal document with address displayed)

 

Visit https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license/star-id for a list of accepted documents, as well as other details.