How and when to get a Real ID in Pennsylvania

• Scott LaMar
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 PennDOT

A REAL ID driver’s license sample for Pennsylvania.

Airdate: June 26, 2023

Remember Real ID? The deadline for obtaining Real ID has been pushed back again with more changes.

Beginning May 7, 2025, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license/photo ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID.

Pennsylvanians can get a Real ID through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

Penndot recently announced some changes to streamline the process. Along with the Social Security card itself, Penndot is now accepting documents that show an applicant’s full Social Security number, including a W-2 form; SSA-1099 form; non-SSA-1099 form; or a pay stub with the applicant’s name and full Social Security Number on it.

Diego Sandino, Press Officer, Driver and Vehicle Services at Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, on The Spark Monday indicated there are still other documents needed to obtain Real ID,”Proof of identity, proof of Social Security. Number two — proofs of current physical Pennsylvania address. And with that, the name needs to be the same on all these documents. And so with individuals who change their name due to marriage or changed their name for any reason, we at PennDOT need to be able to see that name change in the process, like within documents. And so this includes certified marriage certificates as well as a county court that issued any name change or a court order…If you have a passport and your name matches on all your other documents with that passport, we don’t need these extra documents.”

The cost of a Real ID is $30, on top of the driver’s license fee. That’s a one-time fee.

Learn more about Real ID from Penndot here.