Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt Announces Head Of Real ID Task Force

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has announced the formation of a Real ID Task Force as the state tries to work on the severe backlog in appointments. On Thursday he tapped former Oklahoma Tax Commission Executive Director Jay Doyle to step in to spearhead the initiative.

Stitt says he knows Oklahomans are frustrated because they can’t seem to get an appointment to renew a license or get a Real ID in a timely fashion.

The original deadline to have a Real ID was in fall 2021. Due to backups across the country, the Department of Homeland Security pushed that date back to May 3, 2023.

The Department of Public Safety has created a temporary fix to the backlog by setting up the “Mega Centers” for walk-in appointments in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, but Governor Stitt said the task force will look at the root of the appointment problems to create a long term solution.

The Mega Centers are located at the Kensington Business Center in Tulsa near 71st and Lewis and the old Health Department building at 1000 N.E. Tenth St. in Oklahoma City. They are both open Monday-Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Oklahoma City’s Mega Center launches on July 26 and Tulsa’s opens on August 16.

Doyle said in a statement that “he is ready for the challenge of helping Oklahoma move forward” when it comes to creating a modern solution."