LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- State and federal officials say Kentuckians ought to start gathering documents they'll need to request Real IDs once the new credentials are available statewide.
This year's holiday season is the last before October 2020, when new federal rules take effect that will change how air travelers board airplanes at airports in Louisville and across the U.S.
For a Q&A on Real IDs in Kentucky, CLICK HERE.
At that time, the driver's licenses Kentuckians now use won't be accepted at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Instead, people will need a new type of license known as Real ID -- although a passport or military ID also will work.
With less than one year before the change, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and TSA representatives brought their awareness efforts to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport on Tuesday.
The Transportation Cabinet is overseeing the state's rollout of the Real ID credentials, but there is no timeline for when they'll be available at yet-to-be-announced locations in 12 cities. For now, residents of only five counties can apply for the licenses.
Cabinet spokeswoman Naitore Djigbenou said travelers ought to start gathering documents they'll need to request the Real IDs once they're available in their counties. Applying for the new licenses will require more documentation than the longstanding process of simply renewing a driver's license by turning in an expiring card and taking a new photograph.
For example, people will need to show a primary proof of identity, such as an original or certified birth certificate or passport; a proof of a social security number, such as an unlaminated social security card or W-2 wage statement from the current year; and two proofs of residence -- like a property tax bill, utility statement or lease agreement.
Djigbenou urged people to take a personalized online quiz to help understand what documents will be accepted. She said it's important to note that the names on the various documents must match. A "William Jones" on one document and a "Bill Jones" on another won't be enough to prove a person's identity, she said.
In addition, she said people need to make sure they bring in documents that show a name change. For example, a woman whose married name is different than the name on her birth certificate will need to bring in a marriage certificate.
Utility bills can be used as a proof of residency, but Djigbenou said those statements must be less than 61 days old.
Finally, she said people need to double check the official list of accepted documents.
"A main barrier we've seen is people bringing in their driver's license and a proof of identity, as that is not one of the acceptable proofs," she said.
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