Has demand for REAL ID peaked in NC? See how interest has changed in the past 5 years.
READ MORE
The DMV struggle is real
Getting a license or any other form of identification in North Carolina can be a pain. And with many agencies starting to require a REAL ID, the need to go to the DMV is rising. We answer your questions about getting a REAL ID, explore how staffing shortages may impact your experience, and help you navigate a system that can be overly complicated at times.
Expand All
The REAL ID is coming back. Will North Carolina’s short-staffed DMV be ready? Will you?
Has demand for REAL ID peaked in NC? See how interest has changed in the past 5 years.
New to NC? Getting a driver’s license can be a challenge. How to navigate the system.
Getting a REAL ID in North Carolina? We have answers to your questions
Demand for REAL ID driver’s license and ID cards in North Carolina has fluctuated since the Division of Motor Vehicles began issuing them in May 2017.
More than 3 million North Carolinians now have REAL IDs. Demand grew fairly steadily over the first two years, as the federal government prepared to enforce new identification requirements to board a domestic flight starting in October 2020. On average, about 73,000 people a month received a REAL ID just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
With DMV offices shuttered and people’s attention elsewhere, demand collapsed. The Trump administration put off the new ID standards for another year, to October 2021, relieving the urgency to get one.
The Biden administration also cited the COVID-19 pandemic when it further delayed enforcement of the ID standards until May 3, 2023. DMV offices nationwide were still not operating at full capacity, the government said.
But people are still opting to get a REAL ID when they renew or get a new license. Since March 2021, the DMV has issued an average of about 46,000 a month.
This story was originally published September 9, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
