The Department of Licensing has planned six public hearings this month throughout the state – including one in Kent on May 9 – to receive public comment on the proposed marking of standard driver licenses and ID cards that will start this summer.

The public hearing will begin at 10 a.m. at Kent Memorial Park, 850 N. Central Ave.

The rule-making is part of the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act that all states are required to comply with by October 2020.

Hearings are May 8-11 and May 22, 23 in Lacey, Kent, Spokane, Kennewick, Mount Vernon and Yakima. The agenda for the hearings will include a general REAL ID presentation with time for questions, followed by the formal public hearing on the marking. There is also a link on the DOL website to submit comments on the proposed rule for those that can’t attend one of the hearings.

Starting July 1, DOL plans to begin marking all standard driver licenses and ID cards with the proposed language, “federal limits apply.” The federal Real ID Act requires states to mark identification documents that are not Real ID compliant. Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, standard driver licenses and ID cards are not an acceptable form of identification for boarding commercial airplanes and entering some secure federal facilities, like military bases and nuclear power plants.

Washington state’s enhanced driver licenses (EDLs) and enhanced ID (EIDs) cards are considered Real ID compliant, as are passports, green cards and military IDs. For a full list of federally accepted documents and information about REAL ID and what it means for Washington, visit the DOL website.