If you want to use your Ohio
driver’s license to board a flight after May 3, 2023, you’ll need to make sure you upgrade to a REAL ID. To get a REAL ID, you’ll need to pay a visit to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) with documents that prove your residency in the state. If you’re like most people, your driver’s license is your primary form of identification that you carry whenever you leave home. If that’s the case, you may want to consider upgrading to a REAL ID in the near future.
What is REAL ID?
In 2005, Congress passed the REAL ID Act
based on recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission. The act makes it so that you have to use an upgraded driver’s license, called a REAL ID, to enter certain buildings and to board domestic flights. Get rewarded for safe driving. Earn points and unlock benefits. Totally free.
Start earning nowWho needs a REAL ID
Although REAL IDs have been being phased in for a while, they will be enforced starting May 3, 2023. Once enforced, you’ll need a REAL ID to:
Access certain federal facilities
Go into a nuclear power plant
Most of the things you need a REAL ID for only matter if you work in a certain field, although the exception to this is domestic flights. If you don’t upgrade to a REAL ID by May 3, 2023, you’ll need to provide an alternate form of identification to board a domestic flight.
A passport is the most common form of identification used in place of a driver’s license, but you can find a full list of alternatives on the TSA website
. Key Takeaway Starting on May 3, 2023, you’ll need a REAL ID to enter government facilities or to board a domestic flight (without alternative identification).
MORE: Ohio driver's license requirements
How to get an Ohio REAL ID
When you’re ready to upgrade to a REAL ID, you’ll need to make the trip to an Ohio BMV
office. You will need to provide proof of your: You’ll also need to provide proof that you are legally allowed to be in the U.S. and proof of any recent name change if you have had one. Although you’ll have to wait a while for your REAL ID to arrive in the mail, you’ll receive a temporary license so that you can drive without penalty.
You should note that the cost for upgrading to a REAL ID in Ohio is the same as replacing your standard license, $25.75. If you can, you should consider upgrading your license at the same time that you will be renewing it.
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