Denied: Oklahoma’s request for Real ID Act extension denied
POSTED 4:00 PM, OCTOBER 11, 2016, BY KFOR-TV & K. QUERRY

http://kfor.com/2016/10/11/denied-ok...ension-denied/

OKLAHOMA CITY – If you live in Oklahoma, you may want to apply for a passport if you plan to travel within the next couple of years.

It’s all part of the Real ID Act, which is a coordinated effort by the states and the federal government to improve the reliability of state issued ID’s.

It’s meant to inhibit terrorists’ ability to get fake ID’s.

However, Oklahoma passed a law in 2007 that said our state wouldn’t comply with the Real ID Act.

Critics said they are concerned about how our information will be stored, but now officials have a new concern.

After several attempts to get the law reversed failed this past legislative session, Oklahomans are now facing a deadline.

On Tuesday, the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety was notified that the State of Oklahoma’s request for an extension to become compliant with the Real ID Act was denied.

Oklahoma is currently operating under a grace period, which ends Jan. 29, 2017.

Beginning on Jan. 30, 2017, federal agencies are prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards that were issued by non-compliant states for “official purposes.”

In other words, if you do not have a form of identification that complies with the Real ID Act, you will not be allowed to enter a federal building, facility, military base or courthouse.

Beginning on Jan. 22, 2018, a driver’s license or state ID from a state that is not compliant with the Real ID Act will not be accepted to board a commercial aircraft within the United States.

A handful of state leaders say they were concerned this could happen if the Legislature failed to act in 2016.

“Even if we pass a bill in the 2017 legislative session to address this, we will not have Real ID compliant licenses in the hands of Oklahomans by the time that deadline hits in 2018,” Sen. David Holt said.

A passport or military ID are both considered Real ID compliant and would work to get you on an airplane.