CINCINNATI — The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles is seeing more people as they try to beat the deadline to get their Real ID by May 7.
There are many documents you can provide, but you must show proof of these 5 elements:
- Legal Name
- Date of Birth
- Social Security Number
- Legal Presence or U.S. Citizenship
- Ohio Residence
WATCH: This video breaks down the requirements and what you need to bring to get your Real ID.
Rickey Lackey is one of thousands of Ohioans who was trying to get his Real ID with less than 30 days until the deadline.
"I had to go home get my birth certificate and come back, two forms of ID, proof of address and that was it," Lackey said.
Lackey said he was frustrated but was able to come back and didn't have to wait in line again.
The same thing happened to Marcus Elliott.
"I saw someone else getting it and I asked some questions and I actually realized I don't have my two forms or whatever is needed so I'm actually going to head home and grab my passport," Elliott said.
There is a difference between the Real ID and Original ID. The Real ID has a star in the upper right-hand corner while the Original ID does not.
"I don't know why your original ID is not good enough, why they made this change," Elliott said.
I took Elliott's question to the office of Ohio Registrar of Motor Vehicles.
"In order to fly commercially, domestically, get into certain federal buildings and military bases, you're going to need one of those Real ID-compliant licenses," said Charlie Norman, registrar of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Norman said it costs the same as an Original ID.
You can also make your visit at the BMV smoother by securing a spot online. All you have to do is click the service you need, the BMV of your choice and provide your personal information.
You can learn more about the requirements for a Real ID here.
