photo credit:  dustin77a // Shutterstock

In the year 2020, everyone in the state of North Carolina and the country, will be forced to get a federal Real ID. This new form of a drivers license is the next step in proving identity. It will look like a regular drivers license, but in the right corner is a star symbol, giving it the federal approval to be accepted everywhere.

This new ID will be the only way to get on airplanes, federal courtrooms and more, all starting in 2020. The idea came abut after 9/11, as a way to prove people identity and place of residence. In order to get the new card, you must “bring your certified birth certificate, or passport if you have one, and those two documents will prove your identity along with a social security card or W-2,’’  says DMV spokeswoman Patrice Bethea. “You will also need two documents with your current address.”

If you choose to stick with a normal license, it will be printed with a warning indicting it is not a federal ID, making it harder to prove your identity.

The card will not be used to vote, register to vote, apply for federal benefits, being a driving license by the state, or access to health services like hospital or health clinics.

The deadline is 2020. The process to get the ID takes about 15 minutes, will the proper paperwork. It’ll take about 15-20 days to get in the mail.

Written by Clarke Jones