Tough New Federal Security Standards Send D.C. Driver's License Holders to the DMV

D.C. officials celebrated a remodeled Georgetown DMV office Monday, and when it reopens April 29, it could be busier than ever thanks to a federal security law.

City officials say All 540,000 holders of D.C. driver's licenses and other official ID cards will have to have them updated at local DMV offices to qualify for a new Real ID license approved by the federal government.

“If you have our existing driver's license, eventually you will have to come back in -- in person -- because you're going to have to bring your proof of residency, your proof of identity, your proof of social documents back in for us to revalidate,” D.C. DMV Director Lucinda Babers said.

People will need the new Real ID to easily enter federal facilities beginning this fall and to board airplanes beginning in October 2016, Babers said.

Many drivers will renew as licenses expire, are lost or addresses change. For those whose licenses don't change, they'll start getting mailed notices soon to go to the DMV with proper identification, Babers said. Don't ignore the mailing.

“And you look at it and you say, ‘None of this could possibly apply to me, so I'm just going to show up with nothing in hand,’” Babers said. “Please, please, please, it is going to apply.”

About half of the 50 states have complied so far with the new federal Real ID provisions.

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