State/County - Bensalem Township

PA REAL ID Pushed Back to 2021 Due to Declaration of Health Emergency, Penn DOT Request

Published

6 years ago

March 30, 2020

The enforcement of the REAL ID Law has been pushed back for a year due to the outbreak of coronavirus, Penn DOT announced last week.

PennDOT said the Department of Homeland Security postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from Oct 1st of this year, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19 and the national emergency that was declared.

The REAL ID Act was passed after 9/11 terrorist attacks to establish security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. Pennsylvania has received a number of extensions to implement the federal requirements over the last few years.

“We are very pleased that the Department of Homeland Security has listened to our concerns, as well as the concerns from our fellow states regarding the need for a postponement on REAL ID enforcement in the midst of this national emergency,” PennDOT Acting Secretary Yassmin Gramian said in a statement.

PennDOT closed all driver and photo license centers earlier this month and paused REAL ID issuance in the state out of caution and in the interest of public health, officials said. Penn DOT Centers will reopen no sooner than April 6, officials have said.

PennDOT sent the letter to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, requesting that the agency consider extending the Oct. 1, 2020 REAL ID deadline for Pennsylvania, Penn DOT said.

REAL IDs are optional. If you have a passport, you can use that form of identification to board flights and obtain entry into federal facilities.

REAL IDs are not required to drive in Pennsylvania and PennDOT will continue to offer standard-issue driver’s licenses and photo IDs once they reopen.

A federally-acceptable form of identification — whether it’s a Pennsylvania REAL ID driver’s license or ID card, a valid U.S. Passport/Passport Card, a military ID, etc. — must now be used on and after Oct. 1, 2021, as identification to board a commercial flight or visit a secure federal building that requires a federally acceptable form of identification ID for access.

There are three ways to get a REAL ID. If you’ve been pre-verified, you can order your REAL ID online and receive it in the mail. You can also visit one of PennDOT’s 63 Driver’s License Centers, have your documents verified and pay the one-time fee. Your REAL ID will be mailed to you.

Required documents include identification (original or certified copy of a birth certificate with a raised seal or valid U.S. passport), a Social Security card, proof of legal name changes, and two proofs of address.

For a listing about the documents you’ll need to apply for pre-verification, click here to go to the REAL ID Document Check .

Driver and vehicle online services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and include driver’s license, photo ID and vehicle registration renewals; driver-history services; changes of address; driver license and vehicle registration restoration letters; ability to pay driver license or vehicle insurance restoration fee; driver license and photo ID duplicates; and driver exam scheduling. There are no additional fees for using online services.

Related Topics:Penn DOT REAL ID U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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Human Interest - Bensalem Township

Police Seek Info on Missing Teen Believd to be in Lower Bucks Area

Published

18 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Jeff Bohen

Police from Plumstead Township Police Department with an assist from Tullytown Borough Police are asking for help from the community in attempting to locate a missing 17 year-old .

Ryan Jaatar Age 17 is 5ft 8in Brown eyes and has been since January 3, 2026, police say.

Jaatar was last seen by his father at their residence, in Plumstead Township.

Jaatar’s, according to investigators is believed to be in the Levittown/Bristol/Croydon area.

Anyone with information, please contact Detective Stacie Arnosky at sarnosky@plumstead.gov or 215-766-8741, ext. 120 or Contact the Tullytown Borough Police Department at 215-945-0999. You can also submit a confidential tip at through this link.

State/County - Bensalem Township

Burlington Bristol Bridge to Close Overnight Beginning Friday for Maintenance Work

Published

4 hours ago

March 5, 2026

staff

The Burlington County Bridge Commission announced that the Burlington Bristol Bridge will be closed to all vehicle traffic from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. overnight beginning tomorrow (Friday March 6,) to Tuesday, March 10, weather permitting, for maintenance and repair work.

Human Interest - Bensalem Township

Floral Design Program Wins Again at Philadelphia Flower Show

Published

6 hours ago

March 5, 2026

staff

Dr. Patrick M. Jones (left), President & CEO of Bucks County Community College, and Carol Tyler admire the College’s floral design program’s exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show featuring “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler. The sculpture, donated to the College by the Tyler family, is the centerpiece of the College’s award-winning “Rooted in Art” exhibit. The College was founded on the Tyler estate in Newtown more than 60 years ago. Credit: BCCC

In only its second year, Bucks County Community College (BCCC) picked up another medal at the prestigious horticultural expo for its ‘Rooted in Art’ tribute to Stella Elkins Tyler.

BCCC’s floral design program has once again taken home a prize in only its second year participating in the Philadelphia Flower Show. Students, alumni, and instructors earned a bronze medal for “Rooted in Art,” reflecting the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features Tyler’s sculpture “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” donated to the College by Carol Tyler, who visited the show with College President & CEO Dr. Patrick M. Jones (Feature Pic). The College was founded on the Tyler estate in Newtown more than 60 years ago. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.

Credit: BCCC

A team of 20 students, alumni, and instructors from BCCC’s floral design program helped install “Rooted in Art” at the Philadelphia Flower Show, which reflects the College’s origins of being founded on the Newtown estate of artist and educational philanthropist Stella Elkins Tyler. The exhibit features one of Tyler’s original bronze sculptures, “Joan of Arc at Orleans,” pictured in the background.

Credit: BCCC

Melanie Poff (left) and her mother Els Poff, both Certified Floral Designers from Doylestown and students in BCCC’s floral design program, helped surround “Joan of Arc at Orleans” by Stella Elkins Tyler with botanical beauty at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The sculpture is part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit, reflecting the deep connection between art, education, and nature that Stella Elkins Tyler championed throughout her life.

Credit: BCCC

Amparito Arriaga, a Certified Floral Designer from Exton and a student in BCCC’s floral design program, installs part of the “Rooted in Art” exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The exhibit features seven original floral designs, each interpreting the connection between nature, art, and education, alongside six selected student works from the College’s School of Arts and Communication.