The general populace in Illinois does not understand that on May 8 of next year (2025), travelers will not be able to board a domestic air flight without a REAL ID or a passport.
“Don’t wait until the last minute to get a ‘Real ID’ or to renew your passport,” commented Michael Embrey, International Travel Concierge. “Illinois Real ID can take four to six weeks to get and getting or renewing a Passport can take two to four months, depending on the time of year.”
To ensure all the people in Illinois have all of the required documents to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card (DL/ID), the office of the Illinois Secretary of State has developed an interactive checklist to help prepare you for the application process.
To obtain a “REAL ID“, Illinois drivers must have the following to renew their Driver’s Licence.
1) A certified copy of a birth certificate filed with a state office of vital statistics or equivalent agency in your country of birth. OR;
2) Valid U.S. passport or passport card.
3) Social Security card – proof or documentation
4) Two letters or documents mailed to you (home address)
5) Current Valid Driver’s License
+ https://realid.ilsos.gov/publications/pdf_publications/ex83.pdf
The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 after the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report to increase the security of identification documents, making them more difficult to duplicate.
NOTE: Illinois has extended the final date for getting a Real ID with little chance of a continuance.
It is important to note that when traveling internationally, you must have six or more months remaining on your current passport. We have had travelers miss flights and vacations because they did not understand this lrule said Embrey. And with domestic travel, by this time next year, all travelers must have a Real ID or will not be able to board local air flights.
According to Embrey, when renewing your Illinois Driver’s license, you can also request a State of Illinois ID.
This is a free State ID card to be used as a backup for your driver’s license.
To learn more about booking international travel, please contact Michael Embrey, International Travel Concierge
at M.Emrbey@FunMEevents.com or by calling: 815-756-1CME (815-756-1263)
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