On Wednesday, legislation to ease the proof of residency requirements for obtaining a REAL ID was heard by the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee. The bill, a bipartisan effort between Senator Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson) and Representative Frank Hornstein (DFL-Minneapolis), passed the committee with unanimous support.

“The October 1 deadline is rapidly approaching, but the vast majority of Minnesotans are still without a REAL ID. This legislation includes prudent changes to the proof of residency requirements that will make it easier for a person to apply for and obtain their REAL ID before the deadline,” said Senator Newman, chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee. “If you plan to board an airplane after October 1 and you do not have a REAL ID or other federally approved identification, you must act now. If you choose to procrastinate, there is no guarantee you will even be able to get a REAL ID by the deadline.”

Beginning October 1, 2020, federal law will require all citizens to use federally compliant identification, such as a REAL ID, Enhanced ID, or an unexpired passport, to board airplanes, enter federal buildings, or visit military bases. In 2017, the Minnesota Legislature passed a bill to bring the state’s identification cards into compliance with federal REAL ID standards. Compared to the state’s standard identification cards, federal law requires individuals to provide additional documentation to be approved for a REAL ID.

The legislation, which would take effect four weeks after being signed into law, would make a series of changes to the proof-of-residency requirements for obtaining a REAL ID. In addition to the documents already accepted, the legislation would allow utility bills listing two unrelated individuals to be used to establish proof of residency, and statements from debit cards, brokerage accounts, and money market accounts would explicitly be considered financial information. The bill would also allow a high school or college ID be presented without a certified transcript, remove the requirement that a phone number be on an applicant’s pay stub, and allow property tax statements, cell phone bills, and valid hunting and fishing licenses to be used to establish proof of residency. Finally, the bill would raise the time for which documents are valid from 90 days to one year.

In February, officials with the state’s Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services Division testified that, of the more than four million Minnesotans with state-issued identification, only 330,000 have obtained a REAL ID and 259,000 have obtained an enhanced ID. Approximately half of Minnesotans have a valid passport, according to state officials.

“The department is currently advising people that the current wait time is between 90 and 120 days. If you choose to wait, you will experience problems after October 1. These changes will hopefully help people get it done,” said Senator Newman.

The bill now awaits a hearing by the Senate Finance Committee.

Senator Scott Newman represents communities in McLeod, Meeker, Sibley, and Wright counties in the Minnesota Senate. He serves as chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.