FILE - This June 15, 2017, file photo shows the headquarters of Oregon's Driver and Motor Vehicles Division in Salem, Ore.
Andrew Selsky / AP
After this holiday season, Oregonians without a passport will need a REAL ID card to board a plane in the United States.
Oregonians over the age of 18 need to acquire a REAL ID by May 7, 2025, to fly domestically. A valid U.S. passport, passport card or military ID can also be used as alternatives to REAL ID.
So far, about one-third of Oregon’s 3.7 million residents with a driver’s license, instruction permit or identification card have chosen to upgrade to REAL ID, which became available in July 2020. About half of Oregonians have a U.S. passport.
People can get a REAL ID at an Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles office. To get one, they need to bring original documents with proof of identity, U.S. citizenship, birthday and two different sources proving your state address.
Oregonians can make an appointment online to get a REAL ID or walk into any DMV without an appointment. The REAL ID costs $30 in addition to the standard cost of an Oregon driver’s license, permit or ID card. It has a star in the upper right-hand corner. For those who renew their license and choose not to get a REAL ID, their ID will say “Not for REAL ID Act.”
After paying for a REAL ID card, the state will provide a temporary paper card, which TSA will not accept. It could take up to 20 days or more for a REAL ID card to arrive in the mail.
Chris Crabb, a spokesperson for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the state is anticipating a rush of last-minute purchasers that could cause delays and long lines at state offices as the May deadline approaches. She encourages residents to get a REAL ID sooner rather than later, partly because gathering the appropriate documents — such as a certified birth certificate if lost or misplaced — will take time.
“You can’t just show up at a DMV on May 1 taking a flight on May 8, and expect that you’re going to be able to get on that flight,” she said. “So we really want people to be thinking ahead now.”
Crabb also clarified that a REAL ID does not replace a passport.
“It won’t get you into Mexico. It won’t get you into Canada,” she said. “You’re still going to need a passport to go anywhere outside of the United States … We don’t want people to think that a REAL ID magically will get them anywhere.”
Crabb said the federal government is not planning to push back any deadlines, which it has done multiple times in the past. She said the Oregon Legislature approved funding during the short session earlier this year for 26 Oregon DMV staffers to help with REAL ID transactions at the state’s field offices before the May 2025 deadline.
A REAL ID will also be required to enter certain secure federal facilities, such as military bases or nuclear plants.
A REAL ID card costs an additional $30 each time a person applies for an original, renewal or replacement driver’s license, permit or ID. The license or ID card is valid for up to eight years.
