If you are getting ready to travel by air or if you need to visit a federal government building in the near future, you are still able to use your Pennsylvania Driver’s License or Identification card to do so.
Pennsylvania is currently under an extension from the Department of Homeland Security concerning the state’s participation in the Real ID program, which creates a national database of license holders. The original deadline for compliance with the federal Real ID was January 22nd, but Pennsylvania government was resistant to the Real ID measures in the past, including former Governor Tom Corbett signing Act 38 of 2012 which effectively prohibited the Real ID program in the state. Opponents to the plan at the time of the Act’s passage said that the national database would be a constant target for identity thieves.
In May of 2017, the state house and senate passed a plan to make Pennsylvania ID’s compliant under the Real ID law, which was promptly signed by Governor Tom Wolf, but since the new ID’s are not ready yet, Pennsylvania has applied for and received an extension until October 10th. That means that you can still use your state-issued license or ID to enter a federal building or get on a commercial flight after January 22nd.
As PennDOT anticipates a Spring 2019 rollout of the first Real ID licenses, they will continue to apply for extensions until the program is fully implemented.
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