Fourteen states and the District of Columbia allow residents to get licenses and IDs without proof of lawful presence. citizenship or lawful presence, regardless of whether you get a REAL ID or standard license (though the requirements for REAL ID are more stringent).Īs part of the Driving Families Forward campaign, MIRA is actively advocating to remove that requirement for the standard Mass. ID, or if you are applying for the first time, you will need proof of U.S. However, if you need to renew your driver’s license or Mass. Until October 2020, your standard license or ID can still be used to board an airplane in federal buildings where ID is required, you already need REAL ID or one of the other federally accepted documents listed above.You will still be able to use a valid passport (from any country), an EAD card, a permanent resident card (green card), or any of the other documents listed to board flights or as ID to enter a federal building.You will NOT be able to board an airplane using a standard Mass. Starting in October 1, 2021, only licenses/IDs that are REAL ID-compliant will be accepted as identification at airport security checkpoints.If you want a REAL ID license or ID, you must apply in person, whereas five-year standard licenses can be renewed completely online in most cases.The REAL ID licenses are marked “valid for federal identification purposes” with a gold star in the upper right-hand corner.Key differences between a REAL ID and a standard license: The changes affect everyone, but are particularly important for non-citizens to understand. driver’s license or ID, it will still be valid until its expiration date. If you already have a valid, unexpired Mass. The new system went into effect on March 26, 2018. Under that law, state residents now have two options for their driver’s license or ID card: a REAL ID-compliant one, or a standard Massachusetts state license. In 2016 Massachusetts passed legislation to implement REAL ID, a federal standard adopted by Congress in 2005.