TUKWILA, Wash. – With the REAL ID deadline next week, licensing offices across the state are working through record demand for the license and ID cards that can get travelers through airport security.
Under the REAL ID Act of 2005, state-issued licenses and IDs have to meet specific standards in order to be used for getting on planes or into certain federal facilities. In Washington, the “enhanced driver license” and “enhanced identification card” meet the REAL ID standards. Enforcement of the act begins on May 7.
“Last month in March, we had a record of how many people tried to get an enhanced driver’s license,” said Thomas Charlson, spokesperson with the state Department of Licensing. “About nearly 58,000 people got their first-time enhanced driver’s license and ID card.”…