REAL ID deadline is 1 week out – What that means for you in Washington state

SEATTLE — Washington residents have exactly one week left before the REAL ID deadline takes effect. 

U.S. residents will need to present a REAL ID-compliant form of identification May 7 to board domestic flights and to enter federal buildings. This is a form of ID that verifies your residency and citizenship status. 

Washington’s standard driver’s licenses and ID cards do not meet that requirement, leaving many residents in a scramble to get a compliant form of ID. However, there is a chance that residents may already have another form of ID that qualifies. 

An enhanced driver’s license, a U.S. Military ID, a U.S. or foreign passport, and a permanent resident card or “green card” are compliant and can be used to board domestic flights. 

As the REAL ID deadline looms, some Washington residents are feeling the time crunch. 

Spokesperson for the Washington State Department of Licensing, Thomas Charlson, previously told KING 5 that the DOL has seen more than 30,000 people each month recently. He said people looking to get an enhanced driver’s license should expect the DOL to be busy. 

“If you can get an appointment, that’d be great,” Charlson said. “If you can’t get one, walking in is still a perfectly acceptable option. Just expect long wait times.” 

It can take up to 10 business days for your new physical ID to arrive in the mail after applying for one at a DOL branch, but you will receive a temporary paper card while you wait. 

Anyone looking to upgrade to an Enhanced Driver’s License but has a year left before their current license expires will have to pay a fee of $27. Anyone whose driver’s license expires sooner can choose to renew and upgrade to an enhanced license. A six-year license costs $97 and an eight-year one costs $129. 

As of February this year, nearly 1.8 million Washington residents, or about 26% of driver license and ID card holders, have an enhanced driver’s license or ID card. 

Unsure if you need a new form of ID? 

Click here for a list of documents that are acceptable forms of ID for air travel.