Courtesy Photo This photo from the Michigan Department of State website shows what a REAL ID Michigan driver’s license looks like. People will need their identification upgraded to REAL ID before May 7 in order to board commercial flights. Some REAL ID identification cards simply have a gold star in the upper right corner of a person’s ID.

ALPENA — Beginning May 7, Michigan residents will need to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state identification card to fly domestically or enter certain federal facilities to comply with federal law.

A person can tell if they are REAL ID-compliant by ensuring they have a gold star in the top-right corner or a star in the middle of the Michigan graphic of their driver’s license or state ID.

A valid U.S. passport or passport card, Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler card, and U.S. Military IDs are just a few of the documents that will be accepted if you don’t have a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card at the time of boarding for a domestic flight.

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards. The act and implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for license issuance and production. It prohibits federal agencies from accepting certain noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.

Every traveler 18 years of age or older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.

People who want to upgrade their driver’s license or ID can visit a local Secretary of State office. To convert to REAL ID, visit a Secretary of State office and provide a current Michigan driver’s license or ID or a valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other proof of legal presence document. If your name is different from what is on your birth certificate, a certified legal name change document is also required.

There’s no added charge for converting to REAL ID if you do so at the time of renewing or replacing your license or ID. Otherwise, there is a correction fee of $9 for a license and $10 for ID to convert to REAL ID.

The nationwide start date for people to upgrade their identification has been pushed back several times over the last 15 years, with the most recent delay coming during and after the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a large backup in people updating their identification documents.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.