Kentucky will ramp up its Real ID program by opening more regional offices to issue the special licenses many people will need to board domestic flights, state lawmakers were told Monday.
In a race against a looming deadline, the state has opened four regional offices — in Frankfort, Bowling Green, Paducah and Somerset — to issue Real ID licenses. The state is “on the cusp” of opening three or four more offices in coming weeks, with more to open after that, said Sarah Jackson, who recently assumed the role as Real ID project manager.
“I feel very confident that a large number, if not all, of those 12 or 14 offices are going to be open by late spring, early summer, if not sooner,” Jackson told a House budget review subcommittee.
Kentucky lagged behind many other states in complying with a federal travel law passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005, requiring states to upgrade the security of driver’s licenses.
Pressed about the state’s timetable, Jackson said: “I am very confident that those who want a real ID will be able to obtain a Real ID before the enforcement deadline of Oct. 1.”
