ST PAUL, Minn. — With the federal REAL ID deadline approaching on October 1, there's still plenty of confusion about the types of identification offered by the state of Minnesota, and which one you'll need at airports and federal buildings.
THE QUESTION
KARE 11 viewer Owen Dupre emailed our Verify team to ask:
I have a enhanced driver's license. The DMV offices told me that this form of I.D. is all I need. Yet on every news cast that I've watched, they keep saying that you need the real I.D. or a passport with no mention of the enhanced license. I think the public needs to know all of the forms of I.D. that are good. I'm still confused on this.
THE ANSWER
According to the Driver and Vehicle Services division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, the state currently offers three options for a driver's license or ID card: standard, enhanced, or REAL ID-compliant.
The state has offered the Enhanced Driver's License since 2014, while REAL ID has been available since 2018.
According to DVS, both the Enhanced ID and the REAL ID can be used at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel; both forms of ID are also acceptable for access to federal buildings and facilities. Standard ID will not be acceptable after Oct. 1, 2020.
Enhanced ID has one big additional benefit that REAL ID does not: only an Enhanced ID can be used in place of a passport at land and sea border crossings between the United States and Canada, Mexico, and some countries in the Caribbean.
In terms of benefits, think of your Minnesota ID options by this ranking:
1. Enhanced ID (airport security, federal buildings, some border crossings)
2. REAL ID (airport security, federal buildings)
3. Standard ID (not accepted at airports or federal buildings after Oct. 1)
Because of the additional border crossing benefit, Enhanced ID is only available to United States citizens, while REAL ID can be issued to citizens and non-citizens.
Both Enhanced ID and REAL ID require additional proof of identification to apply, including proof of identity and date of birth, proof of social security numbers, two documents proving Minnesota residency, and proof of name change, if applicable.
Enhanced ID also requires even more information than a REAL ID application, including all of the above, plus proof of full legal name, proof of photographic identity, and proof of United States citizenship.
REAL ID is available from the state of Minnesota for the same price as a standard ID; Enhanced ID costs an additional $15.
Bottom line, it is VERIFIED that an Enhanced ID is just a good as REAL ID, and can be used and accepted in all of the same places where REAL ID will be required starting on Oct. 1, 2020. Enhanced ID also includes the additional benefit of being accepted for certain border crossings without a passport.