Watch CBS News

66,300 Marylanders Could Lose Their Driver's Licenses In June As REAL ID Deadline Looms, MVA Says

GLEN BURNIE, MD. (WJZ) — 66,300 Marylanders with a new REAL ID star license or identification card since 2009 have just a few weeks to file residency and identification documents with the Motor Vehicle Administration before their driver's license or ID cards could be revoked.

This group still using the licenses after June will still be licensed Maryland drivers, but if pulled over by police they would have their physical cards confiscated.

The overall deadline for obtaining a REAL ID is October 1, 2020, but this group has not yet filed the required documents, MVA said Thursday.

They said these people have been contacted by the MDOT MVA multiple times since December and must bring those documents in as soon as possible to a MDOT MVA branch.

"We will be notifying you over time," Chrissy Nizer, MDOT MVA Administrator, said. "So if you haven't gotten notice, that's okay. We'll be reaching out to you."

They added they will be sending three additional notices in the coming weeks through email and regular mail.

More than half of the 5 million Marylanders with a driver's license or identification card have the required federal REAL ID documents on file with MDOT MVA.

This announcement comes less than a month before the deadline, but MVA noted the Department of Homeland Security informed Maryland in October 2017 that all customers with a driver's license or identification card containing the REAL ID star needed to have the documents on file with MDOT MVA.

MVA said if a resident already has a new REAL ID driver's license or identification card with the star and only need to submit documents, that resident will not have to pay. However, if a resident has an older style Maryland driver's license or identification card they must pay a $20 fee for a duplicate license.

You can check if your license is REAL ID compliant with an online tool MVA uses.

"If it says you need to bring documents in, go ahead and make an appointment at a time that's convenient for you," Nizer said. "We'll walk you through the process. Guaranteed to see you within 15 minutes."

Here's what you need:

  • Proof of age and identity. This could include an original birth certification or U.S. passport.
  • A Social Security Card, W-2 form (not more than 18-months old), or SSA-1099 form (also not more than 18 months old)
  • Two proofs of Maryland physical address, including vehicle registration, insurance card, bank statement, credit card, or utility bill or mail from a federal, state or local government agency.

They added that photocopies, digital scans, or photos of documents will not be accepted. A full list of acceptable documents and requirements can be found here.

Appointments can be made with MVA here.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you're a part of 66,000 who need to replace their ID in June, you should have received a recall notice in the mail with a deadline. If you want to double check your status, click here.

Editor's Note: In an earlier version of this story we said the deadline was June 1. The deadline is sometime in June based on a notice you've received from the MVA.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.