(WBTW) – 2020 is just around the corner, and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) wants to remind you that the REAL ID deadline is also looming.

Remember that starting Oct. 1, 2020, you’ll need a valid passport or other federally-approved document like a REAL ID driver license or identification card to board domestic flights and get into secure federal facilities and military bases.

To apply for a REAL ID, you must visit a DMV office and bring the following documents:

  • One proof of identity* – original or certified (examples: valid passport, birth certificate)
    – *Legal name change document(s) if name on proof of identity is different from the name on the other documents
  • One proof of Social Security number
  • Two proofs of South Carolina residency – paper copies (examples: utility bill, bank statement)

People are strongly encouraged to fill out the online application before their office visit.

You do not need a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card to do any of the following:

  • Drive
  • Vote
  • Apply for or receive federal benefits for which you’re entitled (Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, etc.)
  • Enter a federal facility that does not require an ID (i.e. a post office)
  • Access a hospital or receive life-saving services
  • Participate in law enforcement proceedings or investigations (serve on a federal jury, testify in federal court, etc.)

If you got your first SC beginner’s permit, license or ID during or after Nov. 2010, you may not have to bring in your documents again.

That means if you turned 15 during or after Nov. 2010 and got your permit, or if you moved to the state and got a SC license, the DMV should have your documents in the system.

You can confirm your documents are on file by calling the Contact Center at 803-896-5000.

If you are going to the DMV, you can check their wait times on their website.