NW Twin Cities

A bipartisan-led legislation would ease the proof of residency requirements for obtaining a REAL ID as the October deadline approaches.

The proposed bill, co-authored by Sen. Scott Newman and Rep. Frank Hornstein unanimously passed the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee.

“The Oct. 1 deadline is rapidly approaching, but the vast majority of Minnesotans are still without a REAL ID. This legislation includes prudent changes to the proof of residency requirements that will make it easier for a person to apply for and obtain their REAL ID before the deadline,” Newman, chair of the Senate Transportation Finance and Policy Committee, said. “If you plan to board an airplane after Oct. 1 and you do not have a REAL ID or other federally approved identification, you must act now. If you choose to procrastinate, there is no guarantee you will even be able to get a REAL ID by the deadline.”

Beginning on Oct. 1, 2020, the federal REAL ID Act places new rules on which forms of identification may be used to board flights within the United States and enter secure federal facilities, such as military bases, federal courthouses and other federal facilities.

The legislation, which would take effect four weeks after being signed into law, would make a series of changes to the proof-of-residency requirements for obtaining a REAL ID, according to the bill.

“In addition to the documents already accepted, the legislation would allow utility bills listing two unrelated individuals to be used to establish proof of residency, and statements from debit cards, brokerage accounts, and money market accounts would explicitly be considered financial information,” according to Newman’s office. “The bill would also allow a high school or college ID be presented without a certified transcript, remove the requirement that a phone number be on an applicant’s pay stub, and allow property tax statements, cell phone bills, and valid hunting and fishing licenses to be used to establish proof of residency. Finally, the bill would raise the time for which documents are valid from 90 days to one year.”