ASHEBORO – Just in time for the summer travel season, NASCAR legend Richard Petty applied for hisN.C. REAL ID at the Asheboro driver license office Thursday.
Petty arrived at the license office with his passport, W-2, current driver license and a utility bill to obtain his N.C. REAL ID with DMV Examiner Kayron Poole.
“By 2020, you’ll need to have one if you’re going to travel. We travel on planes all the time and this REAL ID will get you through,” said Petty. “When I get through here, I have to get on a plane and go to Michigan. In July, me and some of the family are going to England for a big car show over there. This will help identify who I am, and it’s going to work real good.”
N.C. REAL ID is a single form of identification that will allow travelers to enter security checkpoints at the airport. It also meets the federal requirements for visiting military bases, nuclear power plants and other federal facilities.
Asheboro Mayor David Smith, Randolph County Commissioners Chairman David Allen and Asheboro-Randolph Chamber of Commerce President Linda Brown also applied for their REAL IDs Thursday. They join more than 505,000 North Carolinians in obtaining REAL IDs. Currently, REAL IDs account for 19 percent of all licenses, learner’s permits and identification cards DMV has issued since the card debuted in May 2017.
The N.C. REAL ID is a traditional North Carolina license or identification card with a star in the upper right corner. The federal REAL ID Act established the requirements and the program is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
To obtain their first REAL ID, residents must bring the following verification documents to a local driver license office:
One (1) proof of identity, date or birth and/or legal presence (lawful status):certified birth certificate or unexpired U.S. Passport
One (1) proof of name change: certified marriage license or divorce decree
One (1) proof of full Social Security number: Social Security card, W-2 or 1099 tax form with full name and number
Two (2) proofs of current address: driver license, vehicle registration card, voter registration card, cable bill, utility bill or bank statement
Petty scheduled an appointment to obtain his REAL ID ahead of the 2020 deadline.
“Everybody go get one real early because they have seven million people to run through here,” Petty said. Appointments can be scheduled by calling (919) 715-7000.
DMV officials have a few more recommendations for residents preparing to visit the DMV office for their first REAL ID:
If your license or ID card expires in 2020, plan to renew your license as a REAL ID within six months of your expiration date. Your renewal fee will be the same.
If your license or ID card expires after 2020, make an appointment now to obtain a REAL ID for $13. Once your card expires, you can renew it online.
Bring your certified marriage license or court documents if your current name does not match your certified birth certificate or U.S. Passport.
Without a REAL ID or U.S. Passport, travelers will have to provide additional identification to board commercial flights and visit federal facilities beginning Oct. 1, 2020. The required identification may vary. Non-REAL IDs will not have a star and will be clearly noted “Not for Federal Identification.”
For more information about REAL ID, including the complete list of verification documents, visitNCREALID.gov.
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