TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — You don’t need an Arizona Travel I.D., also known as a Real I.D., just yet. However, if you don’t have one starting May 7, you won’t be able to travel within the U.S. unless you have another federally compliant credential.
You can tell you have a Travel I.D. if there is a star in the right hand corner of your driver’s license or I.D. card.
“When I renewed my driver’s license last time, it was just easy to check the box,” traveler Robert Jensen said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation said more than 2.55 million people have Travel I.D.s while almost twice as many, 5.04 million people, do not have it.
“It’s a legit way to know where you’re from and then it’s more official,” Alese Peterson, a traveler going to Oregon, said.
However, there are other forms of federally compliant I.D.s you can have, such as a passport or military I.D.
“As a guy who traveled a lot and goes abroad a lot, I usually take my passport to go in, so it’s not too big of a headache,” traveler Travis Stockton said.
ADOT said the Travel I.D. complies with the Federal Real I.D. Act of 2005. The Department of Homeland Security said it was passed after the 9/11 Commission recommended the federal government set standards for using I.D.s.
“It makes things go faster through the airport because you’re more carefully vetted,” traveler Duff Rowden said.
You’ll also need the Travel I.D. to get into federal buildings and military bases. It will cost you $25 and you can get it at Motor Vehicle Division offices or through a third party. ADOT said it can take up to two weeks to arrive.
“25 dollars for 8 years, I kind of think three dollars a year… that’s not even half a coffee. I don’t think that’s ridiculous,” Stockton said.
The I.D. is valid for eight years in most cases, but if you’re 65 or older you will have to renew it every 5 years.
“Get out there and take care of it,” Jensen said.
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Andrew Christiansen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Before joining the team, Andrew reported in Corpus Christi, Texas for KRIS6 News, Action 10 News and guest reported in Spanish for Telemundo Corpus Christi. Share your story ideas with Andrew by emailing andrew.christiansen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, or Twitter.
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