About
REAL ID & FAQs
(Design this page with related
promotional images)
ABOUT REAL ID
In response to terrorism against the United States, Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 which establishes minimum security standards for the issuance of Driver Licenses and ID’s. This helps prevent fraudulent identification by requiring individuals to provide specific documentation required by the federal government to verify who they really are. A REAL ID compliant Driver’s License or Identification Card is federally accepted and may be used to enter federal courthouses, military bases, nuclear power plants, board a domestic flight within the U.S. and enter other secure federal facilities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Ø Do I need a REAL ID?
It is not mandatory that you get one but
highly recommended that you do! You
don’t want to have flights booked for a vacation or business trip, or worse,
need to fly for an emergency situation, and then realize you need it.
Ø How do I know if I already have a
REAL ID?
New Mexico REAL ID compliant Driver’s
Licenses and Identification Cards have a gold star at the top of the card. (See
sample image)
Ø When will it be enforced?
Effective May 3, 2023, you must present
a REAL ID compliant Driver’s License or Identification Card or other accepted
form of identification for official federal purposes.
*** Important Note: If your DL/ID expires after May 3, 2023,
we encourage you to renew it sooner than later!
Ø What alternative documents can I
use for official federal purposes?
In most cases you may use a valid U.S.
Passport, Military ID or another federally approved form of
identification. However, each agency or
federal facility may require different or certain forms of identification. You may need to inquire directly with those
entities before visiting their facility.
Ø Do I need a REAL ID Driver’s
License to drive after the enforcement date?
No, you don’t have to have a REAL ID
Driver’s License to drive. You can still
drive with a Standard Driver’s License, however, you can’t use it to board
flights or enter any federal facilities after May 3, 2023.
Ø What if I am unable to provide
proof of Legal Status or I don’t want or need a REAL ID for official federal
purposes?
You may keep using your Standard
Driver’s License or Identification Card or apply for one if you don’t have one.
Ø What do I need to get a REAL ID
compliant Driver’s License or Identification Card?
You must provide proof of the following
three (3) categories:
o Lawful Identity and Age
o Identification Number
o Proof of New Mexico Residency
Here is the most recent list of
acceptable documents by New Mexico MVD:
(Provide a link for
the PDF Doc.)
Note: If you need assistance understanding these documents or
requirements, please call In & Out MVD today! We are more than happy to assist you!
(Put a “Contact Us”
icon that directs customer to our contact info)
Ø What do I need to get a Standard
Driver’s License or Identification Card?
You must provide proof of the following
two (2) categories:
o Proof of Identity and Age
o Proofs of New Mexico Residency
Here is the most recent list of
acceptable documents by New Mexico MVD:
(Provide a link for
the PDF Doc.)
Note: If you need assistance understanding these documents or
requirements, please call In & Out MVD today! We are more than happy to assist you!
(Put a “Contact Us”
icon that directs customer to our contact info)
Ø What can a Standard Driver’s
License or Identification Card be used for?
Both types of licenses are valid for
driving, cashing a check, obtain state and local services and much more. However, it cannot be used to board a flight,
enter certain federal facilities or for any other official federal purpose.
Ø Will my documents be accepted if
they are not written in English?
No.
Your documents must be translated to English and must be certified by
the translator as a full and complete translation of the document.
Note: In & Out MVD offers translation services for your
documents. Since we are an MVD Partner
Office we understand and know the exact requirements for these translations and
will always guarantee our translation services.
Call us today, we are here to serve you!
(Put a “Contact Us”
icon that directs customer to our contact info)
Ø Can my documents be copies of the
original document?
No, your documents must be original or a
certified copy. A certified copy is a
copy of a primary document that is endorsed by the entity that issued the
original document. Copies, notarized
copies and non-certified copies will not be accepted.
Ø Will the MVD verify that my
documents are authentic?
Yes, a REAL ID can only be issued after
MVD has electronically verified the legal status and identification number
documents via these sources:
o Verification of Legal Status
(VLS): Immigration documents are matched to the
records found in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Systematic Alien
Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system.
o United States Passport
Verification System (USPVS): Passport
documents are matched by the MVD to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS)
records database.
o Social Security Online Validation
(SSOLV): Social Security Numbers are validated
by the MVD with the Social Security Administration SSOLV.
Ø What is a Legal Name?
It is the name that a person uses for
official purposes and must be reflected on your NM Driver’s License or
Identification Card. No nicknames are
allowed.
Ø What if my Legal Name changed?
If your Lawful Identity and Age document
is not the same as your current Legal Name, you must provide all documents to
support the change. These documents may
be:
o Marriage
Certificate(s)
o Divorce
Decree(s)
o Adoption
Records
o Court
Orders
Ø What if my birth certificate has
an error, do I have to amend it?
Yes.
If your name on your birth certificate is different than your Legal Name
due to an error, then you will need to have it amended. Common errors are:
o Misspelled
name(s)
o Name
is out of order (Jane Mary Smith vs. Mary Jane Smith)
o A
different version of your name (Jose vs. Joe)
Note: You can apply for a name correction with the Office of Vital
Records from the State or Tribe in which you were born or registered. Here are some useful links:
New Mexico Vital Records:
https://www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/bvrhs/vrp/
Other States:
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm
Ø What do I need to do to get my
Legal Name changed through the courts?
You may need to petition the court for a
legal name change when your required documents do not clearly reflect the
change from one name to another. Some
reasons to petition the court for a Legal Name change may include:
o Robert
Manual Smith has been using, and wants his name to be Gary Smith
o Geraldine
Susan Goldstein signed her marriage certificate Joey S. Goldstein when she
married Stephen Thomas. Now she wants to
be called Joey S. Thomas or some other variation of Geraldine Susan Thomas
o Gerald
Michael Gutierrez has been using and wants to be known by his baptismal name
Phillip Gerald M. Gutierrez
o Paul
Vincent Jones grew up with the Martin family and has been using the surname
Martin without having been adopted or undergone a legal name change
Note: Use the following link for more information on changing your
Legal Name
through the New Mexico courts:
Ø What if my Identification Number
document or NM Residency documents don’t match my current Legal Name?
When the current legal name does not
match your documents, follow the guidelines below to make corrections to your
Identification Number or NM Residency documents.
o Apply
to the Social Security Administration for an amended Social Security
Card
o Contact
the entity that provided the needed documents and request a correction to your
name and/or physical/residential address
o Petition
the court for a legal name change
(Make the “Social
Security Administration” a link to their website)