FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 24, 2020

Nebraskans Ready For REAL ID

Good news for Nebraskans! If you are planning to fly or enter a federal building after October 1, 2020, the identity document requirements needed to do so are changing, but Nebraskans are ready for the change. Each person must show a passport, federal identification card, or a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or state ID. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) began issuing REAL ID compliant credentials in 2013. With driver’s licenses and state identification cards renewed every five years, this means all valid Nebraska DMV cards in circulation are REAL ID compliant.

“If you have any concerns about your driver’s license or state identification card, just look for the gold star,” said Rhonda Lahm, Director of the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. “Compliant credentials have a gold circle with a star in the upper right corner. Our residents should have no concerns about the October 1, 2020 deadline as all valid driver’s license and state identification cards meet REAL ID requirements.”

A recent statement from the Department of Homeland Security announced states may receive identification documents electronically as a way of pre-approving a person’s REAL ID application, but because all Nebraska’s credentials are REAL ID compliant, this provision is not in use in Nebraska. The department urges customers not to send any information electronically to organizations claiming to assist with the REAL ID process. The only valid place to obtain a REAL ID is at a state DMV office or at dmv.nebraska.gov.

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