Minnesota officials announced that starting in October, drivers can use a pilot program that will be tested in Lakeville and Moorhead that will include the issuance of a same-day driver’s license.
The program, which is costing state taxpayers $2.4 million to test, will end the antiquated practice of clipping the corner of your expired drivers license while you carry around a paper copy of your application while you wait four to six weeks for the state to mail you your new license.
Other states, including Illinois, North Dakota and Virginia, have had this same-day program in place for several decades.
As a matter of fact, states like Illinois and Virginia have discontinued issuing same-day licenses because, starting May 3, 2023, every driver license must be REAL ID-compliant. (Compliance with REAL-ID regulations on drivers’ licenses has been delayed for two years due to COVID-19.)
However, starting next May, any American 18 years and older who wishes to fly will need a REAL-ID compliant drivers license or will need to show a valid passport in order to fly domestically.
So, while Minnesota Department of Public Safety is catching up with the 1990s, the rest of the country is planning ahead and making sure that those who wish to board a flight next year are ready to do so. OH – and those other states like Virginia and Illinois mail you your REAL-ID compliant license within 7-10 days, unlike the four weeks to two months that it takes in Minnesota.
