Many Butler County drivers still without Real ID as deadline day arrives
After decades of delays, the day of nationwide Real ID enforcement has arrived. From Wednesday, May 7 onward, a Real ID-compliant identification is required to perform certain tasks, such as boarding a domestic flight and accessing certain federal facilities.
According to numbers released by the state Department of Transportation, approximately 2.9 million Pennsylvania residents are equipped with a Real ID driver’s license — 28.4% of license holders across the state.
Butler County’s rate of Real ID adoption is slightly better. In the county, 59,085 eligible drivers now carry REAL ID-compliant identification compared to 103,207 with non-compliant identification, making for an adoption rate of 36.41%.
However, Pennsylvania stresses that a Real ID is only required for the purposes listed above, and you will not need one to drive, vote, visit the post office, or receive federal benefits. For those who do not currently posses a Real ID-compliant identification card, another form of federally-accepted identification, such as a passport or military ID, is acceptable.
Residents of Pennsylvania will still be able to acquire Real IDs at designated PennDOT license centers, including the one at Point Plaza in Butler Township, even after enforcement began Wednesday.
PennDOT will hold a Real ID Day on Monday, May 12, in which license centers will exclusively offer Real ID services on a day when they would typically be closed.
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