REAL ID options if the name you’re using is not what’s on your birth certificate: Roadshow

Q: I am loving all the DMV information in your column these days, as I’m about to do the big 7-0 renewal. I am also going to get a REAL ID. I obtained a copy of my birth certificate for the REAL ID. I learned that, after a lifetime of being Gayle, my birth certificate says my name is Gail.

When I filled out the online form to start the process, I was asked if there’s a name difference between the birth certificate and current name on the license. They also asked, “If so, how did it occur?” I checked the “Legal change” box, but really, it was just honest parental oversight.

Will this minor spelling discrepancy cause problems at renewal/REAL ID time?

Gayle Goldblatt

A: The DMV responded and said that a REAL ID must reflect the customer’s legal full name. If a customer has another acceptable identity document, such as a U.S. passport, with their first name spelled the preferred way, they can use that instead of a birth certificate when applying for a REAL ID. If a customer does not have another acceptable identity document or a name change document with their preferred name, they must use their legal/true full name as it appears on their birth certificate.

Q: When a person with a REAL ID driver’s license stops driving due to disability, can the person get a “plain vanilla” REAL ID at the next license renewal date without visiting a field office or supplying new documentation? Everyone now needs an authentic photo ID for medical treatment, as well as for travel, as mentioned in one of your recent columns.

Lynne Ellinwood, Richmond

A: A customer may obtain a REAL ID identification card at their next renewal date, but would still need to visit a DMV field office to do so. The proof of identity and proof of residency documents would not be requested again for the renewal.