PennDOT to Host ‘REAL ID Day’ at Bensalem Driver License Center Next Monday

To help ensure Pennsylvanians are prepared for the spring time federal REAL ID enforcement deadline, PennDOT announced it will hold special REAL ID service hours next week at its Bensalem Driver License Center.

REAL ID services will be held on Monday, January 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m at the license center located at 4201 Neshaminy Blvd. in Bensalem.

“We’re committed to ensuring our customers are ready for the REAL ID enforcement deadline of May 7, 2025,” said PennDOT Deputy Secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services Kara Templeton. “By offering special hours on a day when our centers are typically closed, we’re providing an additional opportunity for those who want to obtain a REAL ID and be prepared. We are always looking for ways to provide a better service to residents and our REAL ID Days accomplishes that mission.”

More than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have chosen to opt into the REAL ID program. Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, 2025, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant license/identification card, or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to:

• Board domestic commercial flights.
• Enter a military base.
• Enter certain federal facilities that require a federally acceptable form of ID.

If you’re not sure whether a REAL ID is right for you, our REAL ID online wizard may be able to help.

Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify the below documents:

• Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
• Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display currently legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
• Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
• Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by your county’s family court.
• Note: If current name is the same as what is reflected on the proof of identity document (usually birth certificate or passport), show proof of legal name change does not need to be shown.

More information about REAL ID document requirements can be found on PennDOT’s REAL ID website.

When a customer gets their first REAL ID product, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee (the current renewal fee is $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license and $42.50 for a photo ID). The expiration date of their initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID product, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won’t lose time that they’ve already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond regular renewal fees to renew a REAL ID product.

After customers present the proper documentation and pay the applicable fee, customers may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:

• Receiving the product in the mail within 15 days, if application was made at a Driver License Center, such as the Bensalem Driver License Center.
• Receiving the product over the counter, if application was made at one of PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID Centers.

Customers who received their first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit, or photo ID card AFTER September 1, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT.  These customers can  apply for REAL ID pre-verification and order their REAL ID-compliant product online

For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, please visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website and click on Find A Location.

For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website. REAL ID is optional for Pennsylvanians, but will be required for domestic air travel and entry to certain federal facilities after the May 7, 2025, deadline. A passport will still be required for international travel.