Massachusetts RMV offering walk-in appointments as REAL ID deadline approaches

Mass. — Still don’t have a REAL ID and concerned about the deadline? The Massachusetts RMV is offering walk-in appointments at all branches.

Beginning May 7, anyone 18 or older will need REAL ID to pass through an airport checkpoint if they do not have a passport, Department of Defense ID, a trusted travel card.

You also need a Real ID to visit federal facilities, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The RMV announced on Tuesday that they are accepting walk-ins for REAL ID transactions at all service centers.

If a customer who walks in for a REAL ID transaction cannot be helped immediately, a service center staff will see if another time slot may be available later that same day or scheduled over the next several days.

Residents should also be aware that it can take 10 to 14 business days to receive the REAL ID in the mail.

The fee to obtain or renew a REAL ID is the same as obtaining or renewing the equivalent non-compliant credential:

· The fee for renewing a non-commercial standard or a REAL ID driver’s license is $50.

· The fee for renewing a Mass ID is $25.

· The amendment fee for upgrading to a REAL ID credential before an existing credential’s expiration is $25.

· Customers with a less than five-year stay in the U.S. pay a prorated fee.

As of April, Massachusetts has more than 3 million credentials being REAL ID-compliant.

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005, after the 9/11 Commission recommended that the government redo the security standards for identification.

It was supposed to go into effect in 2008, but had been delayed several times.

For more information on the REAL ID, visit the link here.

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