LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada DMV announced Friday that, starting May 5, it will accept walk-ins for residents who have upcoming flights and still need a Real ID.
According to a release from the Department of Motor Vehicles, customers with flight arrangements in the following 45 days can walk in Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Reno, Carson City, Sahara, Flamingo, Decatur, and Henderson offices.
Customers who walk in will be required to prove that they have an upcoming commercial flight.
The Real ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005, and ever since, the DMV has issued compliant licenses and ID cards. Real IDs are easily identifiable with a star emblem in the upper right-hand corner.
The deadline has been extended several times since 2005, but the new deadline, May 7, is “the real deal,” the DMV said. It will not be extended again.
“There are many misconceptions about who needs a Real ID, and customers who assumed the date would move again were not worried about the previous deadlines,” DMV Director Tonya Laney said. “Well, we are now seeing panic creep in amongst Nevadans who are trying to get their Real IDs. This is a problem for the rest of the customers in the state who already had appointments to get their regular DMV business done.”
To offset the demand, the DMV initially allowed walk-ins on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. starting April 22.
With appointments and walk-ins combined, the DMV saw 46,770 customers who needed a Real ID in April alone.
“If you do not have a need to board a commercial aircraft, enter a secure military facility or nuclear power plant, please do not panic!” said Laney. “Your existing driver license, ID card or instruction permit is still a valid document for all other purposes.”
