Missouri asks for another extension to comply with Real ID Act
The Missouri Department of Revenue has asked for another extension from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to comply with the federal Real ID Act.
Department director Joel Walters in a statement Tuesday said the Department of Homeland Security granted Missouri a grace period through Jan. 21, 2019, which will allow federal agencies to accept Missouri-issued driver licenses and ID cards until then.
Missouri’s current extension is valid through Oct. 10, but because of the grace period, Walters said Missourians should have no issues using their state-issued driver licenses and ID cards when boarding domestic flights or visiting federal sites that require federally complied IDs after Oct. 10.
The extension the state department asked for was not the first. Homeland Security granted an extension in November 2017 through Oct. 10, 2018, even though the state asked for an extension through March 2019.
Since at least October 2017, Department of Revenue officials have planned on creating compliant IDs by March 2019.
According to the Homeland Security website, as of Jan. 19, 2018, 55 out of the 56 states and U.S. territories were in compliance with the Real ID Act or received extensions through Oct. 10, 2018.
Walters’ statement said state officials expect the second extension to be approved for March 2019.
If the state isn’t granted an extension through March, Missourians would not be able to fly domestically or visit certain federal facilities after Jan. 21.
If that’s the case, Missourians would need an alternative form of federally accepted identification, such as a passport.
Homeland Security announced in December 2013 that it would start enforcement in phases.
The number of Missourians with a passport nearly doubled from 2.64 percent in 2013 to 4.53 percent in 2017.
It is unclear what specific differences a compliant Missouri driver’s license will have from the current version. It’s also unclear how much a compliant ID will cost to purchase, especially if a Missourian renews a license shortly before the compliant IDs are available.
