ST. PAUL — With the deadline to be REAL ID ready less than a year away, state officials are encouraging Minnesotans who apply for a REAL ID to use the online pre-application tool before they visit their local driver’s license office to ensure they have the required documents.

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards. The Act refers to federal anti-terrorism laws and regulations that control access to:

• Federally regulated commercial aircraft.
• Federal facilities requiring identification to enter, such as military bases or nuclear power facilities.

Every air traveler 18 years of age or older will need a REAL ID, enhanced driver’s license or ID, passport or passport card or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States or enter federal facilities beginning Oct. 1, 2020. A standard Minnesota driver’s license will not be accepted for federal use as of that date, but it will still be a valid form of identification and valid for lawful driving privileges.

Approximately 9.72 percent of Minnesota driver’s license and identification card holders are currently REAL ID ready. That’s up from 7.8 percent at the end of September 2019.

The online pre-application feature allows Minnesotans to enter a significant portion of their driver’s license or ID card application from a computer or smartphone. The tool also includes a list of required documents for each license type to help applicants have all necessary documents ready when they visit a driver’s license office. The pre-application tool can be found at http://driverservices.dps.mn.gov/EServices. 

Applicants must provide original documents or documents certified by the agency that issued them. Laminated documents will not be accepted. Digital documents shown on your phone or other electronic device will also not be accepted. A full list of accepted documentation is on the REAL ID website at http://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs/real-id/Pages/default.aspx. 

Any eligible Minnesotan can apply for a REAL ID now, but there is a fee in addition to the standard cost of the license or ID card. It depends on how early you renew.

• $2 for a renewal up to 17 months before expiration
• $4 for a renewal 18-29 months before expiration
• $6 for a renewal more than 29 months before expiration

When renewing early, four years will be added to the license or ID card’s original expiration date, so while an early renewal will cost a little more, the license or ID card will be valid for a longer period of time. The early renewal option is only for those who renewed their Minnesota driver’s license or ID card before REAL IDs were available on Oct. 1, 2018. Their licenses must also expire after the full enforcement date of Oct. 1, 2020.

State Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs) are REAL ID-compliant and are acceptable for official federal purposes such as accessing a federal facility or boarding commercial aircraft. They are also designated as acceptable border-crossing documents by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and can be used to travel by land or sea to Mexico, Canada and some Caribbean countries. Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington are the only states that currently issue EDLs.

Minnesotans who have an enhanced driver’s license or ID (EDL/EID) can continue to use it to board domestic flights or enter federal facilities after Oct. 1, 2020.

More information about EDLs and EIDs can be found at http://tinyurl.com/tq6zqve.