Long Delays Continue in Issuing REAL IDs in Minnesota

My Minnesota driver's license was set to expire in June. So I went to the Stearns County License Center, jumped through the hoops to get my new license as a REAL ID, paid my fees and went home with my clipped license and a temporary paper license.

Other than having to buy a copy of my birth certificate to prove I'm a U.S. citizen, it was all pretty mundane.

I was told because of the May 7th deadline to show a REAL ID in order to fly domestically, there was a BIG backlog of 10-12 weeks.

That was 64 days ago.

WHEN WILL I SEE MY REAL ID?

The State of Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Driver and Vehicles Services says if you applied for a REAL ID, you should expect to wait 80+ days. (Although there are reports of some people waiting up to 120 days.)

Now, my license was expiring so I HAD to renew it now. I don't have to fly anywhere in the foreseeable future. So I'm just fine with my temporary driver's license that's good until October 1st.

But it got me thinking. What about other folks who DO have to have that REAL ID in order to get on a plane?

I called and waited on hold for a half-hour today -- August 6th -- to talk to a nice lady at the DVS in St. Paul.

She says as of today, they're only up to processing applications made on April 29th.

I applied June 3rd.

Guess I'll wait a while longer.

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WHAT YOU CAN DO

If you're looking to see what the status of YOUR REAL ID is, go to the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services and plug-in your Driver License ID number.

Or you can use the MN DVS Virtual Assistant in the bottom right-hand corner of the page or device screen browser labeled HELP.

There you can choose from options like:

• Where's My License; or,
• Driver's License Status.

That'll tell you the status of your license and where your new license is in processing and mailing it to you.

The DVS says processing REAL IDs in ordinary times takes about 6 weeks. But because of the May 7th deadline, it created a huge backlog they're still working through.

WHAT IF YOU NEED TO TRAVEL SOON?

If you need to travel, consider a passport or a passport card. TSA accepts them for domestic flights and it may save time -- and a lot of headaches.

The Minnesota DVS recommends if you DON'T have to get your REAL ID now, wait to apply until the backlog gets more manageable.

Here's all the info you'll need to apply for your REAL ID:

Driver and Vehicle Services REAL ID FAQ Page