A yellow bear logo with a star on your identification card will determine whether you’ll have access to some federal facilities, like federal courthouses, or travel nationally by plane starting on Oct.1, 2020.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles’ website states that “this optional card is being made available to Californians who want to continue to use their driver license or ID card to board a domestic flight or enter secure federal facilities.”
The California REAL ID is an identification card that will be required in order to access these locations throughout the United States. They have been offered to California residents since Jan. 22, 2018.
So far, the DMV has stated that about 5.4 million people in the state of California have received it since Jan. 2018, according to the Sacramento Bee.
In 2005, the REAL ID Act was passed by Congress which “enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses,'” which are listed in the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
Students who tend to travel for educational purposes should take advantage of applying and get it before the deadline approaches within the next nine months.
Associated Students President Diana Vicente said that it’s a good idea for students to get the REAL ID, as the university offers many opportunities for students to travel for school purposes.
“For students to get this, it would really make it easier to take advantage of those purposes that are already provided,” said Vicente. “Just like any other place, our university believes that education and learning goes beyond the classroom and that includes the traveling experiences.”
If students want to apply for one, here are the documents required by the DMV in order to obtain the REAL ID:
1. Proof of identity, such as a valid U.S. passport, passport card or a U.S. birth certificate.
2. Social Security Number proof such as a social security card or a pay stub.
3. Two proofs of California address such as a lease, rental agreement or bills (cellular phone, electricity, mortgage, etc.).
The cost of obtaining a REAL ID is $36.
Before the act goes into effect, students and other Californians are still able to use their driver’s license or identification card in order to have access to the areas.
