Do you have a star encircled in gold on your Rhode Island driver’s license? If not, there’s still time to get your gold star REAL ID driver’s license.

Rhode Island residents who want to board an airplane will soon need a gold star on their driver’s license, indicating that it is a REAL ID credential or they will need another form of approved identification to board their domestic flight or enter a secure federal facility or military base. Rhode Island’s REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards have a small star inside a gold circle in the upper right corner to indicate that it meets federal regulations that establish minimum security standards.

The upgraded REAL IDs will be required starting October 1, 2020 and the one-year countdown is on.

Rhode Islanders have the option to upgrade to a REAL ID if their license does not currently have the gold star or stick with an older standard driver’s license. However, a standard credential – without the gold star – will not be valid to board a domestic flight or to access secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices. The standard Rhode Island driver’s license will have the words “Not for Federal Identification” printed at the top.

To get the REAL ID star, individuals will need to visit their local Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles office in person and bring certain documents to prove U.S. citizenship and Rhode Island residency. Or, AAA members may also obtain a REAL ID at any of the association’s Rhode Island branch offices.

Required documents include one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, two proofs of Rhode Island residency, your social security card (if you’ve been issued one) and a current driver’s license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state.

There is no additional cost for a Rhode Island REAL ID, when an individual applies for it during the renewal period, however, a REAL ID will cost $26.50 outside of the renewal period.

Transportation Security Administration officers who staff the ticket document checking station at airports will not allow travelers into the checkpoint without a REAL ID license or another form of acceptable ID after October 1, 2020, because of a federal law (the REAL ID Act of 2005) that mandates that a REAL ID is needed for federal purposes. REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards. The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.

Earlier this summer, TSA posted signs at airports nationwide to remind people that REAL ID-compliant licenses or other acceptable forms of ID, such as a valid passport, federal government PIV card or U.S. military ID, will be mandatory for domestic air travel beginning on October 1, 2020. Critically important, on October 1, 2020, individuals who are unable to verify their identity will not be permitted to enter the TSA checkpoint and will not be allowed to fly.

For more information and details about how to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card in Rhode Island, visit the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles website.