Real ID Act compliance

Individuals from just three states are still not allowed to use their state-issued driver’s license as proof of their identity when they attempt to access Joint Base San Antonio and other Air Force installations.

            Louisiana, Michigan and New York are the remaining states under review for an extension renewal to comply with the REAL ID Act, which enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The act establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.

            However, all three states are under a grace period until Jan. 22 that allows federal agencies to continue accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by these states

in accordance with each agency’s policies.

            Texas is one of 27 states compliant with the REAL ID Act as of Dec. 29, while 20 states and three United States territories have received an extension renewal to comply with the act.

“JBSA security forces must be able to rely on government-issued identification documents and know that the bearer of such a document is who he or she claims to be,” said Alberto Jorge-Sanchez, 502nd Security and Readiness Group Mission Assurance director. “REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the states and the federal government to improve the

reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, which should inhibit terrorists' ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”

            Individuals accessing Air Force installations are allowed to use their state REAL ID-compliant driver’s license for identity proofing; individuals with a driver’s license from a state with an extension are also allowed to use their license as proof of their identity until Oct. 10.

            Individuals from states still under review must provide one of the following alternate documents for access to JBSA locations:

• U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport Card

• Permanent Resident Card/Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)

• Foreign Passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine readable Immigrant Visa

• Employment authorization document that contains a photograph (Form 766)

• Identification card issued by federal, state or local government agencies, provided it contains a photograph and biographic information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color and address

• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card/Credential

• Personal Identification Verification or Federally Issued PIV-1 Card issued by the federal government

• PIV-I Card (Personal Identification Verification-Interoperable) issued by a non-federal-government entity

• Department of Homeland Security “Trusted Traveler Card” (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)

• Border Crossing Card (Form DSP-150)

• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-550) and U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551)

• U.S. Refugee Travel Document or other travel document or evidence of immigration status issued by DHS containing a photograph

• A Foreign Government-Issued Passport

  DHS has also authorized installation commanders to determine locally acceptable alternative forms of identification, to be used under certain circumstances.  In turn, the JBSA commander has determined the following forms of local identification are acceptable for identity proofing at JBSA operating locations only: