Minnesota lawmakers debate ways to make REAL ID process easier, faster
REAL ID takes effect on October 1, 2020. (FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul)
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - With only seven months until the deadline to have a REAL ID, officials are making an effort now to make it simpler and faster to get one.
You'll need the new license to fly on a plane unless you have a passport. Nevertheless, applying has been confusing and the backlog is slow and expected to grow.
Minnesota lawmakers debate ways to make REAL ID process easier, faster
With only seven months until the deadline to have a REAL ID, an effort now to make it simpler and faster to get one.
"So we want to make sure that all Minnesotans can not only get their REAL ID but get it in a timely way," said State Rep. Frank Hornstein.
Lawmakers say a REAL ID update by the state three weeks ago was the shocker. Not many Minnesotans yet had it and it was taking too long to get it.
"How does it speed it up?" said Hornstein. "Well, it speeds it up by making sure there’s more staff that are available to process this and we clarify in the bill the kinds of documents that people need to bring. There’s been some confusion about that."
According to the Department of Public Safety, DVS is still working on applications from seven weeks ago.
"As of February, we have 700,000 of 4.7 million with REAL ID-compliant credentials," explained Public Safety Assistant Commissioner Tim Lynaugh.
Testifying on Thursday, Lynaugh said they expect another 1.4 million to apply by the end of the year, further adding to the backlog.
"Our challenge right now," he explained, "is to maintain sufficient staff in DVS that can take on that amount that we’re expecting and the amount is significant as we move into the summer months."
The bill allocates $2.7 million for temporary staffing, hoping to keep the turnaround to less than six weeks. It also tries to both clarify and simplify what documentation you need to bring to speed up that part of it, too.
The state has added a kiosk at the airport to supply another place to get the ID.
"Sometimes people have brought documents that they thought were sufficient, and then they’re asked to turn around and go back home and get something else," said Hornstein.