The Real I.D. Act of 2005 was passed by Congress in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to standardize government-issued identifications, like drivers' licenses, for security purposes. Beginning in 2018, South Carolinians will be able to get a Real I.D., which they must have by Oct. 1, 2020, in order to do activities such as board a commercial airplane, visit a secure federal building or a military post.
S.C. Dept. of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman Lauren Phillips and Fort Jackson Director of Emergency Services Col. Johnny Sellers talk about what documentation a citizen needs to obtain the Real I.D., and what can be used to supplement a "non-compliant," or regular, identification card, in order to conduct federal business until he or she can obtain a Real I.D. Phillips says the I.D.s should be available after the first quarter of 2018, during which time they will be printed.