Customers are flocking to Department of Motor Vehicles locations across the country, including in Arlington, as a deadline to get REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses approaches.
Arlington’s two service centers were recently singled out by DMV officials as areas where customer traffic had increased significantly in the run-up to the May 7 deadline changing access rules for airline flights and government buildings.
“Time is ticking,” DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey said, especially for those planning to travel by air during the summer season. In March alone, the Virginia DMV issued over 104,000 REAL IDs.
A recent review of wait times found Arlington customers waiting significantly longer than the statewide average delay for service. Compared to locations in surrounding areas, however, Arlington was in the middle of the pack.
The statewide average wait for service was 16.2 minutes in March. Those with an appointment waited an average of 8.4 minutes, while those walking in waited an average of 17.2 minutes.
For the S. Four Mile Run Drive DMV service center, a search just after noon yesterday (Thursday) showed nine people waiting and an estimated wait time of 22 minutes for license and ID-card services.
At the Virginia Square service-center location, the estimated wait time to begin the process was about 39 minutes.
At the same time, estimated waits for license services at branches within a 15-mile radius of Arlington were as follows.
- 24 minutes at Tysons
- One hour, 46 minutes at Alexandria
- 23 minutes at Fairfax-Braddock Road
- 5 minutes at Fairfax-Franconia
- One hour, 11 minutes at Fairfax-Lorton
- 25 minutes at Fairfax-Westfields
- 49 minutes at Loudoun-Sterling Blvd
- 10 minutes at Loudoun-Sterling Free Court
DMV Commissioner Lackey said residents needing to get a REAL ID in the weeks leading up to the deadline can help themselves by starting the process online.
“You can easily check the required documents ahead of time and make an appointment to reserve your spot, making the whole process faster and more convenient,” he said.
Since the option became available in October 2018, more than 4.1 million Virginians have opted for REAL ID-compliant licenses and identification cards. That represents 59% of all active Virginia driver’s licenses and IDs.
REAL ID legislation was enacted 20 years ago by the federal government, but its implementation has been postponed several times.
Most impacted are those who plan to fly domestically or enter federal facilities and do not have an alternate acceptable form of identification, such as a passport or military ID.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, though not directly involved in screening passengers, is working to make travelers aware of the upcoming change.
“We’ve got countdown clocks at both airports,” authority spokesperson Emily McGee told ARLnow. “Also, both websites have webpages dedicated to the issue.”
A REAL ID-compliant license incurs a $10 surcharge atop the fee for Virginia’s traditional license, which costs $32 and is valid for eight years.
