The agency is urging affected Marylanders to submit the necessary documents to keep their licenses.
Glen Burnie, Md. (KM). The Motor Vehicle Administration says it’s needs to implement the Federal Real ID law, and that could mean some residents lose their licenses for not complying.
In December, the MVA says it sent out notices to a number of Marylanders, saying they needed to provide certain documents to the agency, or risk losing their driver’s licenses or state identification cards. At this point, the MVA says, 66,300 have not replied.
MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer says Maryland began issuing Real ID driver’s licenses and identification cards in 2009. At that time, the US Department of Homeland Security determined that these new cards were in compliance with the Real ID law. But in October, 2017, DHS determined that holders of Real ID license needed to have certain documents on file with the MVA.
“The individuals we are reaching out to are individuals who have that new, secure Real ID driver’s license with the star on it. . That’s the one that has the flag in the background and all the security features,” says Nizer. “So those individuals if they don’t have documents on file with us will be required to bring them in.”
Nizer says the documents that are needed are “one proof of identity, which is your passport, your birth certificate, proof of Social Security, Social Security card, 1099, W2, and then two proofs of your residential address.”
After you gather up all your documents, Nizer says you can go on line and make an appointment with the local MVA office. “We guarantee to see you in 15-minutes of the appointment to really make it a good experience from the customer service standpoint,” she says.
You can make your appointment with your local MVA office by going on line to www.mva.maryland.gov/realid..
Nizer also says MVA offices in Frederick, Baltimore City, Essex, Easton, Gaithersburg and Westminster will be open from 8:30 AM until 6:30 PM on Tuesdays, and on Saturdays from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM through July 2nd to handle appointments regarding the Real ID licenses.
Nizer says affected motorists have until June to get this done, or their licensees could be recalled. “If individuals fail to take action after we’ve notified them and give them a six-month period, at that point we will have to take the recall action on their license,” she says.
If affected motorists are pulled over after the deadline, police could confiscated the license. Those individuals would have to come to their MVA office and present the required documents before they could get their licenses returned to them.
For information on whether you are affected by this potential recall, go to www.mva.maryland.gov?realidlookup.
By Kevin McManus