No REAL ID, No Travel: Don’t Get Left Behind

REAL ID DEADLINE APPROACHING

The deadline for getting your REAL ID is coming up quickly. May 7th, 2025 everyone who wants to do any kind of traveling will have to have either a passport or a REAL ID. Your standard driver's license won't work.

TRAVEL NO TRAVEL

You can say you don't need a REAL ID but think about it. Do you think you'll never fly anywhere? Ever? What about taking a bus or train to Canada? No? Well...if the opportunity never arises, you might NOT need one; but just in case you do have that opportunity to travel, wouldn't you want to take it?

PLAN AHEAD

To get your REAL ID, you DO need to think ahead a little bit. There are certain documents you will need to provide to prove your identity. It takes some time to get this paperwork together, so now is a good time to start planning and searching for the necessary documents that will make this a good experience.

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PROVING YOUR IDENTITY

The DVS has a full list of what you need, but basically, it comes down to this. You need a document to prove your identity, your date of birth, that you are a U.S. citizen, and two documents proving that you live in the state of Minnesota. Sounds simple enough, right? Here's what you need to know before you go to the DMV.

COPIES WON'T WORK

The documents must be original, so don't bother making a copy of your birth certificate; that won't work. Scanned images, faxed images, photocopies, digital images on your cell phone, or laminated documents? No. None of that will work, so don't waste your time.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Here is what you CAN use:

• U.S. passport or passport card
• Foreign government-issued passports
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766).
• Permanent Resident card
• Border Crossing card
• Federally recognized tribal-issued photo ID
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents.

NAME CHANGES CAN BE COMPLICATED

Getting your REAL ID can get a little complicated for women who have been married more than once, or for anyone that has changed their name for one reason or another. For each name change, you'll need to bring documents of proof from birth to the present day. Acceptable proof would include certified copies of any of the following:

• Marriage Certificates
• Divorce Decrees or dissolution of marriage
• Adoption Decrees
• Court-ordered name changes

If you are like me, and a divorce was so long ago that you don't even have a copy of the marriage certificate, you must contact the county you applied for your license in, NOT the county you were married in, to get a certified copy. Yeah. It's a pain in the butt and it takes time to get the papers.

SAVE SOME TIME BY PRE-APPLYING ONLINE

This could help save you a trip. You can pre-apply online by clicking HERE through the mobile-friendly app that allows you to upload documents so that the DVS can verify whether you have the right documents. It will also allow you to receive your REAL ID license or ID card faster, typically within 7 to 10 business days.