Real ID really has a real deadline. Are you ready?
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Good morning. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Do you really need a Real ID?
- The L.A. Times Festival of Books is back and celebrating its 30th anniversary.
- Summer movies at Hollywood Forever begin with ‘Clueless,’ a David Lynch tribute and more.
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper.
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The Real ID deadline looms. Is it real?
It looks like they actually may be serious this time.
After 17 years of extensions, federal officials are adamant that, yes, you will really, really REALLY need REAL ID to board U.S. domestic flights beginning next month. They even have a countdown clock, winding down to the official start of nationwide Real ID enforcement on May 7.
“As of Jan. 1, more than 18.5 million California residents now have their Real ID, compared with last year’s January count of 16.9 million according to recent data from the California Department of Motor Vehicles,” my colleague Karen Garcia reported this week. “There’s still a long way to go for the state to reach complete compliance. More than 35 million Californians have either an ID, both an ID and a driver’s license, or an ID for people under the age of 16.”
If you’re among the millions of Californians who haven’t made the switch yet (that includes me), Karen put together a short, handy guide. Here’s what to know.
Real ID isn’t the only way to fly domestically
Thankfully, there are several other valid forms of ID that the Transportation Security Administration will accept for those of us that put off getting Real ID (or forgot because they never seemed too serious about it). Those include:
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID (including IDs issued to dependents)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards
- HSPD-12 Personal identity verification card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card
It seems like the California DMV would prefer you hold off on getting Real ID if you can, so they can process the surge of residents now scrambling to obtain one. A message at the top of their webpage on Real ID states:
“Californians who do not have a REAL ID but already hold a valid passport can comfortably wait to convert to a REAL ID when their driver’s license is due for renewal.”
California’s DMV is adding hours as the deadline approaches
You have to apply for Real ID through your local DMV office. In response to the looming federal deadline, 18 offices across the Golden State will open an hour earlier, at 7 a.m., (except Wednesdays) through June 27 for residents who’ve made an appointment to obtain their Real ID.
Here’s where:
- Pleasanton (6300 W. Las Positas Blvd.)
- Fremont (4287 Central Ave.)
- Folsom (323 E. Bidwell St., Suite A)
- Carmichael (5209 North Ave.)
- Thousand Oaks (1810 E. Avenida de los Arboles)
- Van Nuys (14920 Vanowen St.)
- Arleta (14400 Van Nuys Blvd.)
- Glendale (1335 W. Glenoaks Blvd.)
- Pasadena (49 S. Rosemead Blvd.)
- Culver City (11400 W. Washington Blvd.)
- Westminster (13700 Hoover St.)
- Costa Mesa (650 W. 19th St.)
- San Clemente (2727 Via Cascadita)
- Rancho Cucamonga (8629 Hellman Ave.)
- San Diego - Clairemont (4375 Derrick Drive)
- San Marcos (590 Rancheros Drive)
- El Cajon (1450 Graves Ave.)
- Poway (13461 Community Road)
Select DMV offices will be open Saturday, May 3, strictly for Real ID appointments. For more information or to start the appointment process, visit the DMV website.
What took so long?
The long-delayed nationwide standard for identification was established in 2005, when Congress passed the Real ID Act in a response to the 9/11 attacks. The initial deadline requiring Real ID to travel domestically or enter federal facilities was May 2008.
Then came more than a decade and a half of delays and extensions, caused by a number of issues, including public opposition, initial refusal from some states to participate, sluggish bureaucracy, a lack of resources and later a pandemic.
Better late than never?
Today’s top stories
Mystery surrounds a man accused of chainsawing trees across downtown L.A.
- Authorities arrested Samuel Patrick Groft, 45, on suspicion of felony vandalism, in connection with 13 downed trees in five locations across the city.
- He has an extensive criminal history, according to law enforcement sources, and once posted on social media that he believed his mind was being controlled by “electronic weapons.”
The L.A. Times Festival of Books is back and celebrating its 30th anniversary
- Kicking off Saturday, the annual literary festival brings more than 550 storytellers to the USC campus across seven outdoor stages and 15 indoor venues.
- Ahead of the festival’s 30th edition, we look back on the books, authors, genres and organizations that have defined the last 30 years in literature.
What else is going on
- April showers in Southern California? Here’s the latest forecast.
- San Diego-based fast food chain Jack in the Box to close more than 150 locations.
- At this horror-movie fight club, Hollywood workers let it all out.
- California e-bike voucher drawing returns. What are your chances this time?
- Rare Fijian iguanas, rescued from wildlife traffickers in Spain, arrive at San Diego Zoo.
- A California security firm CEO and workers were charged after a woman was forcibly removed from a Republican town hall.
- ‘He made Catholicism cool again.’ SoCal’s Catholic leaders reflect on Pope Francis’ impact.
- Metro station for LAX will open in June, officials announce.
Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here.
Commentary and opinions
- The late Pope Francis advocated for the powerless, for those who have so little and yet are villainized by people in positions of authority, writes contributing columnist J.P. Brammer.
This morning’s must reads
How an L.A. grocery store’s unofficial Instagram blew up — and no it’s not Erewhon. What started as a bit has turned the Los Feliz Albertsons into the focus of a beloved neighborhood meme account. Until now, the creators of the account have been a mystery. Here, they tell us why they made it and how it connects the neighborhood.
Other must reads
- Looking for things to do in L.A.? Ask us your questions and we’ll share very specific recs.
- Polluted soil is all over L.A. Here’s how to fix it, even if your home didn’t burn.
- Sammy Hagar on his most lucrative hit and why he didn’t ruin Van Halen.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 📽️ Summer movies at Hollywood Forever begin with ‘Clueless,’ a David Lynch tribute and more.
- 🎹 This Italian made waves with a floating piano on Lake Como. Now he’s coming to L.A.
Staying in
- 🩰 In ‘Étoile,’ now streaming on Prime Video, details and dialogue drive a ballet-world comedy.
- 🍋🟩 🌺 Here’s a recipe for a hibiscus margarita.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
A question for you: What would you ask your favorite author?
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... your photo of the day
Show us your favorite place in California! Send us photos you have taken of spots in California that are special — natural or human-made — and tell us why they’re important to you.
Today’s great photo is from Times contributor Carlos Jaramillo at a Y2K L.A. quinceañera put on by cultural curator Anita Herrera who uses parties as an artistic medium.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Ryan Fonseca, reporter
Andrew Campa, Sunday reporter
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Christian Orozco, assistant editor
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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