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New Michigan driver's licenses will be required to board domestic flights

Published  August 23, 2017 11:19am EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit
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This is what REAL ID driver's licenses will look like.

(WJBK) - The Michigan Secretary of State's office announced it will begin issuing a new license Monday that will eventually be required to board domestic flights.

Under the REAL ID Act, cards will be marked with a star inside a gold circle in the upper right-hand corner.

To get a new card compliant with the act, you'll need to bring your birth certificate or another approved document to the Secretary of State office. There will be no extra fees for this card.

Beginning October 1, 2020, Michigan residents with driver's licenses or ID cards that do not comply will not be allowed to board domestic flights, visit federal buildings, military bases or nuclear plants without another identifying document.

"Without a card accepted by the federal government, Michigan residents will face the inconvenience and extra expense of having to get a passport or another accepted document to fly or visit federal buildings," Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said in a release. "To avoid future headaches for travelers, we will offer a compliant card for those who want one, and, for those who don't, we still have the standard card for normal identification purposes."

If you choose not to get a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, you'll get a standard card with "Not for federal identification" printed on it, which will still be valid for ID purposes, driving and buying alcohol.

Michigan already issues REAL ID-compliant cards in the form of enhanced driver's licenses and ID cards, which permit travel to Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and Caribbean nations. These are marked with a U.S. flag, and those who hold these cards are not required to apply for a different REAL ID-compliant card to visit those countries by land or sea.

This is an example of a REAL ID card:

REAL ID

According to the Michigan SOS, the federal standards for REAL ID cards were established in the wake of 9/11. It was passed in 2005.

Anyone looking for more information about REAL ID licenses and ID cards may visit the Secretary of State website or call the Department of State Information Center at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424).