State's REAL ID Extension Request Denied

The State of Oklahoma’s request for an extension of time to become compliant with the REAL ID Act was denied Tuesday, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety said. 

Oklahoma has been issued a grace period that will end January 29, 2017. 

The important date for Oklahomans to remember - especially Oklahoma travelers - is January, 22, 2018, when travelers with non-compliant IDs will not be allowed to board a commercial aircraft in the United States. 

The other important date is January 30, 2017, when federal agencies are prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by non-compliant states for official purposes.

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 to prevent terrorists from obtaining fake IDs.

REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the states and the Federal Government to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, which should inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security states on its website.

“Starting January 30, 2017, Federal agencies are prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by [non-compliant] states for official purposes," according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

What this means is that after January 30, 2017, anyone who does not have a form of identification that is REAL ID compliant will not be able to enter a federal building or facility, military base, courthouse, etc.  

Oklahomans are strongly encouraged to plan ahead before visiting any federal building or facility, DPS said. 

The Transportation Security Administration has a list of alternative forms of acceptable IDs on its website, which include U.S. passports, U.S. passport cards, U.S. military IDs (active duty or retired military and their dependents), DHS-designated enhanced driver's licenses, airline or airport-issued IDs and federally recognized tribal-issued photo IDs.

Passports and passport cards may be obtained at the Tulsa County Court Clerk's office. The passport fee for first-time adult applicants is $110 with an additional $25 execution fee, and a passport card fee is $30 plus the $25 execution fee. 

For more information about passports, costs and requirements, visit travel.state.gov website. 

For those with American Indian blood and ancestors on the 1906 Dawes Roll, federally recognized tribally-issued photo IDs may be obtained at the citizenship offices of federally recognized tribes. 

American Indian tribes have varying citizenship requirements and lists of documents that must be provided when applying for citizenship. For a full list of federally recognized tribes, visit the National Conference of State Legislatures website.

For more information about REAL ID, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website for a list of frequently asked questions. 

According to the Department of Homeland Security's website, only these 23 states are fully compliant with the REAL ID Act: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. 

Alaska, Arkansas, California, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia have extensions filed with DHS. 

And Minnesota, Missouri and Washington are non-compliant and don't have extensions filed.