Illinoisans won't be required to obtain a REAL ID for more than a year-and-a-half, but residents can prepare what they'll need to receive the new identification early.
In Illinois, residents looking to obtain a REAL ID will be required to visit a Secretary of State Driver Services facility and provide documents that prove their identity, their Social Security number, a written signature and two documents that show proof of residency.
The following are acceptable documents to prove identity:
- Birth certificate
- U.S. passport
- Foreign passport with U.S. visa affixed with approved Form I-94 document
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Certificate of Citizenship
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Employment Authorization Document
- Permanent Resident Card
- REAL ID
To provide proof of their Social Security number, resident can show their Social Security card or a W-2, or a pay stub with a Social Security number on it will be accepted.
Illinois residents will also need to provide at least two proofs of residency to receive a REAL ID. Those can include the following: bank statement, canceled check, school transcript, credit card statement, mortgage or rental agreement, insurance policy, pay stub, retirement statement, report card, utility bill, voter registration card.
For a proof of signature, residents can show a credit or debit card, a canceled check, a current Illinois driver’s license or ID, a court order, a foreign passport, a Medicare card or a U.S. military ID.
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For a full list of acceptable documents, click here.
REAL IDs will be required for those who don't have a valid U.S. passport or passport card and use airplanes as a mode of domestic transportation and visit military bases and/or secure facilities.
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In late April, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security delayed the requirement of air travelers to have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification to May 3, 2023. The previous deadline was Oct. 1.
A widespread shift to appointment-only scheduling protocols during the pandemic significantly limited states’ capacity to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, DHS officials said in a news release. As of late April, only 43% of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards in the U.S. were REAL ID-compliant.
A REAL ID card will cost the same as a driver’s license ($30) or a state ID ($20).
After providing those documents, residents will receive a temporary paper ID at the facility (although residents are reminded that the TSA will NOT accept that paper ID), and will receive their new ID in the mail within 15 business days.
