When it came time for me to get my new Michigan drivers license, I knew what kind I wanted. Or I thought I did.
I believed I was after a Real ID, a special license that would be required to access certain secure locations and, more relevant to me, fly. Each state was allowed to define when you’d be required to have a Real ID, but many began distributing them as drivers licenses when the old ones were renewed—the Real ID essentially replaced the standard drivers license. That’s what I asked for originally.
But there is an enhanced drivers license that acts as a passport of sorts if returning to the US from Canada, Mexico, and parts of the Caribbean. Given our close proximity to Canada, I didn’t want to have to bring a passport to accommodate any unplanned border crossings during our outings. Therefore, what I really wanted was the enhanced license, not the Real ID, so I had to get mine replaced.
I wasn’t the only one who was confused about the two types of ID. Others that I talked with often didn’t know which one they had. Here’s how you can tell:
- The Real ID is labeled as “Drivers License” while the enhanced version is “Enhanced Drivers License.”
- The Enhanced license has an American flag in the lower right corner of your photo.
When you compare one of each, the differences are obvious, but the messaging hasn’t made that distinction clear, even referring to the Real ID as an “enhanced” license that can be used as identification for air travel.
Now you can decide which license you want: one that lets you fly, or one that lets you back into the country.