Only a small percentage of Ohio's licensed drivers and identification card holders have opted to get a new federally compliant ID needed in the future for boarding planes and entering federal facilities.
About 14% of the state's licensed drivers and identification card holders so far have obtained the new compliant IDs requiring more documentation than Ohio's standard ones, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
Ohio has issued about 1.3 million compliant IDs since it began offering them July 2, 2018. That leaves about 8.1 million licensed drivers and state ID holders who are still using the state's old IDs or have chosen to get Ohio's standard one that doesn't satisfy federal requirements.
Travelers beginning in October 2020 will need federally compliant identification to board planes and enter federal facilities. A passport will still be an acceptable form of identification for flying.
The federally compliant IDs require proof of a person's full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and address and proof of U.S. legal presence. Two documents from different sources are required to prove Ohio residency.
Non-compliant driver's licenses and state IDs can still be used for driving and voting.
"We wanted to give people a choice if you don't fly, don't have any reason to go to federal or military buildings, you don't want to bring in all of those documents," said Lindsey Bohrer, an Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman.
Mike Rankin, the state's former registrar, said it's still a good idea for individuals who don't think they will need a new federally compliant ID to get one anyway.
"When that person has to fly off in an emergency because a loved one is in a hospital and they get to the airport and get turned away, that's going to be really a rub for a lot of people," he said.
The federal Real ID emerged in 2005 in response to calls for more security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
