Indiana, PA - To help ensure Pennsylvanians are prepared for the upcoming Federal REAL ID enforcement deadline of May 7, 2025, PennDOT announced  it will hold special REAL ID service hours at its Clarion Driver License Center at the Clarion Mall, 22631 Route 68 Suite 50 in Clarion on October 7, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.  

“We're doing everything we can to make sure our customers are prepared for REAL ID enforcement on May 7, 2025," said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton. “By offering these special hours on a day when the Clarion center is normally closed, we're giving our customers who may want to get a REAL ID another opportunity to be prepared."

More than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to opt into the REAL ID program. Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, 2025, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant license/identification card, or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to:

• Board domestic commercial flights.
• Enter a military base.

• Enter a federal facility that requires federally acceptable ID.

If you're not sure whether a REAL ID is right for you, our REAL ID online wizard may be able to help.

Federal REAL ID regulations require that, PennDOT must verify the below documents:

• Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
• Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display current legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
• Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver's license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
• Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include  certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by the courts.
• Note: If current name is the same as what is reflected on the proof of identity document (usually birth certificate or passport), show proof of legal name change does not need to be shown.

More information about REAL ID document requirements can be found on PennDOT's REAL ID website.

When a customer gets their first REAL ID product, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee based on the class of license they have. Visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website at www.dmv.pa.gov and click on Payments and Fees under Information Centers for a listing of current fees.

The expiration date of their initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID product, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won't lose time that they've already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond regular renewal fees to renew a REAL ID product.

After customers present the proper documentation and pay the applicable fee, customers may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:

• Receiving the product in the mail within 15 days, if application was made at a Driver License Center, such as the Clarion Driver License Center.
• Receiving the product over the counter, if application was made at one of PennDOT's 14 REAL ID Centers.

Customers who received their first Pennsylvania driver's license, learner's permit, or photo ID card AFTER September 1, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT.  These customers can  apply for REAL ID pre-verification and order their REAL ID-compliant product online.

For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, please visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website at www.dmv.pa.gov and click on Find A Location.

For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT.pa.gov/REALID. Getting a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or identification card is optional for Pennsylvanians; however, Pennsylvania residents who wish to fly domestically or enter certain federal facilities on or after the May 7, 2025, deadline will need either a REAL-ID compliant product or other federally accepted form of identification. A passport will still be required for international travel.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

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