Oregon to start offering Real ID cards next July

Oregon will be one of the last three states, along with New Jersey and Oklahoma, to implement the new ” Real ID ” cards.

The Real ID Act of 2005 was passed by Congress to improve airport security following the 9/11 terror attacks. Beginning on Oct. 1, 2020, you will need a Real ID-compliant license or ID card if you wish to use it to board a domestic flight.

The federal Department of Homeland Security announced in December 2013, a phased enforcement plan for the Real ID Act.

Starting next July, Oregon will offer the Real ID Option which requires applicants to prove they are legal residents in the country. And by Oct. 1 of next year, a Real ID, passport, current military ID or Homeland Security-trusted traveler card will be required for domestic flights.

Regular, pre-Real ID Oregon driver licenses can still be used for everything else but domestic airline flights.

” Another difference with Oregon is that it will be an option, ” said David House, a spokesman with Oregon’s DMV. ” You don’t have to go out and replace your license, ever. Your standard license will continue to be good for everything it’s good for now. ”

A fee for the new ID cards has yet to be determined, but House said it will cost more than a regular driver’s license.

Some residents of other states where Real ID was already implemented have opted out of signing up for the new card. Lorie Dankers , a spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration, said signing up for a Real ID-compliant card as a backup is a good idea.

” Some people are aware they have another form of identification that works, and some people say, ‘Well I don’t really fly that much,’ and that’s not really a good reason, ” Dankers said. ” You never know you might have a trip come up that is an emergency. You might have a scenario come up where you have to fly on short notice and you’ll want to have that real identification. ”

Oregon DMV officers are expecting long lines in July and will be hiring more personnel to deal with the longer lines.

“In preparation for this, the Legislature authorized more personnel, ” House said. ” We will be able to add more personnel to our 60 field offices.”

Only people over the age of 18 are required to show identification for flights.

The Oregon DMV has set up a web page to help Oregonians navigate the new rules.