ONE MONTH TO GO: Much-delayed deadline nears for REAL ID compliance

| Transportation | West Seattle news

(REAL ID reminder that arrived with a car-tab-renewal notice)

By Anne Higuera
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

With just a month left, the scramble is on for appointments to get enhanced driver licenses and other IDs that meet REAL ID requirements. Starting May 7, you’ll need identification that meets those federal standards if you want to board a domestic commercial flight or visit some federal facilities. US Passports will be accepted, as will Washington State-issued Enhanced Driver Licenses (EDL) and Enhanced IDs, as well as Tribal IDs and other documents (see the list here), but a regular driver’s license or state ID will no longer be enough.

We checked around, and found that West Seattle’s semi-new driver-licensing location at 2420 SW Dakota is booked up for the next two months worth of appointments for enhanced documents. A few other locations in the metro area have some earlier appointment dates, but still well after the deadline. The enhanced cards take a couple of weeks to process after the appointment, in any case. There are some occasional cancelled appointments that become available day-of, so if you can’t wait until summer for your updated documents, checking the site regularly may yield an earlier appointment. The Department of Licensing website allows you to check by location on availability, but does not show the West Seattle office on its default map. You have to put in your zip code to see available appointments there: dol.wa.gov/id-cards/real-id

REAL ID’s goal is to make sure all states use the same kinds of standards to confirm identity and citizenship before issuing ID cards, in much the way US passport standards work. The Act, which was a Congressional response to security concerns after 9/11, was originally planned to take effect in 2008, but that deadline has been pushed back time and again, for a total of 20 years. The most recent delays in 2021 and 2023 were blamed in part on state licensing backlogs created by the pandemic. The Transportation Security Administration is sticking with the deadline this time, but is planning a “phased enforcement approach,” giving it some flexibility if passengers arrive at the airport with a regular ID instead of an enhanced one. Just how they will handle those situations when they happen is not yet clear, but they do expect it to be an issue because so many Americans have yet to upgrade their identification to meet the standards. While US passports are another option, only a little more than half of Americans — 170 million people — have those.

Despite the standardization the act is aiming for, some states, including Washington, are putting their own mark on the IDs–literally. To denote a compliant ID, the majority of states have added a star in the upper right corner of their IDs, but some are black, others gold, and California has their star on a grizzly bear. Washington state has eschewed the star in favor of an American flag that overlaps the photo on the ID.

bill April 7, 2025 (8:35 pm)

DOL has put its best IT people on the job! Using a West Seattle zip code the site presents locations as far away as Lynnwood, Redmond, even Poulsbo, all showing no appointments available to apply for a REALID. One wonders how far into the future DOL believes the future extends. All appointments are booked up through … next week; the collapse of civilization; the end of the universe? This is stuff for a Douglas Adams novel.

1994 April 7, 2025 (9:55 pm)

LOL to that Bill ….. when my son got his driver’s license the DOL told us during a telephone call that the earliest appointment was in 3 hours either in Ellensburg or in Parkland….or we would take a try for walk in service at West Seattle. We went for the walk in service at West Seattle when it was across the street from Westwood Village and got prompt service. Anyone visited the DOL’s new location hidden behind and under the Dept of Children Youth & Services on Delridge? Ground level on the backside of that building.

Mike April 7, 2025 (8:44 pm)

Moving at the speed of government. “The Act, which was a Congressional response to security concerns after 9/11”. Yup, nearly 24 years have past. If you had a kid born right after 9/11, they’d have an undergraduate or even a masters degree by now. Nearly a quarter of a century… Good grief.

WSCurmudgeon April 7, 2025 (9:45 pm)

Shortly after the original bill was passed, I decided to get the enhanced license. I went to the DOL site, then next to WWV, which was packed to the rafters with people, as usual. There were two sets of numbers being given out, one for people getting the usual licenses, a different series for the enhanced. I sat down next to a man who looked unhappy. He commented, “I’ve been here an hour, and it looks like it will be another before my number will come up!” I started reading, and was surprised when my number was called after only 15 minutes. It turned out that so few people had brought passports, or other acceptable proof of citizenship that the enhanced line was very short.

Roxy April 8, 2025 (12:34 am)

Try this for gov’t logic: I tried to book an appointment in West Seattle but no available appts anywhere nearby. I thought I might have a better chance further away in a less populated area so I entered North Bend’s zip (98045) and appointments popped up in West Seattle and Redmond in June. I don’t know if it’s a fluke, but at least I have an appointment now. But does anyone know if West Seattle is currently taking walk ins so that I maybe get it sooner? I might have to fly in May – forgot about Real ID deadline.

ddd April 8, 2025 (6:15 am)

Keep in mind that after you get the appointment, it will take a week or two to actually get the new EDL in the mail. The paper copy they give you at the licensing office can’t be used to fly, you need the real thing.

It may be faster (but more expensive) to apply for a passport and pay for the expedited service. That reduces the processing time to 2-3 weeks, but you need to add a week to the front and end of that to get the application sent out and the passport returned. So it’d really be 4-5 weeks total.

The city’s customer service centers do passport applications. There’s one at the SW pool building on Thistle. You need to make an appointment (and of course have the other stuff — pictures, filled out form, birth certificate or expired passport, etc.). More info and the appointment scheduler are here: https://www.seattle.gov/customer-service-centers/passports

Meeeee April 8, 2025 (5:04 am)

Had my Real ID appointment May 5 and got it in the mail 2 weeks later.I’d made the appointment Feb 6 and it was in W. Seattle. DOL people were friendly and effiecient. My appointment time was right when they opened and waiting for the door to open there were probably about 10 people already there waiting for walk-in appointments.For Real ID make sure you have all the documents you need, the list they have online is easy to follow.

Lauren April 8, 2025 (6:44 am)

Just like removing our shoes, I’m sure this will make us much safer </sarcasm>

Sigh April 8, 2025 (6:55 am)

Just make sure you go early to the DMV. Way early. We went just for a renewal for an ID at 3pm and still got turned away at the end….

Heylady April 8, 2025 (6:57 am)

I went to Tukwila for my Real ID yesterday. I waited an hour and 15 minutes. All eleven windows were open. I hear they are less busy in the mid to late afternoon. I brought my DL, birth certificate, property tax bill, SPU bill and marriage license. Transaction was about five minutes including photo. No appointment needed but you can make one. They are booked until mid June as of yesterday morning. ✈️

Delbert Grady April 8, 2025 (7:08 am)

I looked yesterday and it was completely booked up but when I checked early this morning they had opened up a bunch of new ones in West Seattle starting June 7. I guess early AM is the best time to check. (Tried to do this in 2019 and the guy insisted that the name I wrote on my SS card when I was 12 didn’t match my other documents. It was infuriating.)

KT April 8, 2025 (7:36 am)

Looks like LOTS of procrastinators getting in at the last minute. Please don’t dis the Licensing folks because you waited until the last minute to do this.

Brian April 8, 2025 (8:58 am)

The deadline has slid for the last two decades so you may excuse people for not believing it was actually real.
Mister_Fisher April 8, 2025 (12:02 pm)

+1

justme April 8, 2025 (7:49 am)

No, the local office does not take walk ins, I tried and was turned away.

K April 8, 2025 (10:45 am)

I walked-in at the West Seattle location a few weeks ago around 10am on a Friday and was able to get my Enhanced DL. If you go later in the day they might turn you away depending on wait times.

KWest Seattle April 8, 2025 (8:20 am)

Website says the fir tree symbol indicates the Washington license is compliant

Captain Admiral April 8, 2025 (8:42 am)

Nothing like blaming the government for your procrastination. Those complaining have had ample time to get this taken care of, but instead opted to wait until the last minute.

Mister_Fisher April 8, 2025 (11:50 am)

I’m with you, Captain.
Chemist April 8, 2025 (1:36 pm)

I will blame the WA state government for setting the price so high to get a EID that complies with Real ID standards though. It’s a pretty big discouragement that they added $7/year more to the already high cost of a WA driver’s license/id vs other other states where a REAL ID compliant license adds no cost (and the fee is much lower). Like California, for example.

T Rex April 8, 2025 (8:44 am)

It was easier for me to get a passport a few years ago than to wait to get the Real ID. I am glad I have one, so I can avoid this craziness. Flying will start to get really interesting as my guess is some people will not get REAL ID and have no passport.

helpermonkey April 8, 2025 (8:47 am)

I just went to get mine in mid-March. I made an appointment about a month ahead of then, and thank goodness I did because at 2pm on a random Friday the line was out the door. Even with an appointment it still took a long time. So definitely make an appointment and make sure you have all of the required documentation with you. And bring a check to pay with, because the fees for debit/credit are insane. Oh, and parking at the new WS location doesn’t really exist, so plan for that too if you book an appointment there.