NH DMV Sees Surge in Appointments for REAL ID Ahead of May 7 Deadline

Officials with the New Hampshire Department of Motor Vehicles are seeing increased appointments from residents seeking a REAL ID before the federal government's May 7 REAL ID enforcement date.

“We're seeing anywhere from a 30% to 35% increase” in traffic at DMV offices, said John Marasco, the state's DMV director, in a statement shared with New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). “The uptick in customer volume in our lobbies around the state has been off the charts.”

In response to this demand, DMV locations in Concord, Manchester, and Twin Mountain will open on Saturday, May 3, to help process REAL ID applications. However, Marasco warned that REAL ID appointments are quickly filling up.

He estimates about two-thirds of all drivers in New Hampshire have obtained a REAL ID, a figure that's expected to increase.

“I can tell you in the state of New Hampshire right now, the vast majority of residents that are coming into our DMVs to renew or get for the first time a non-driver ID or a driver's license are, by and large, going for the REAL ID,” he said to NHPR.

A REAL ID costs $60, compared to $50 for a traditional ID from the DMV. People who want to upgrade their current, unexpired license to a REAL ID will only need to pay $3.

In New Hampshire, obtaining a REAL ID is voluntary. Those who don't get one can still present a valid U.S. passport or other approved forms of identification to board a domestic flight without possessing the new REAL ID driver's license.

The May 7 REAL ID federal enforcement deadline comes after 20 years of planning and delays. This enhanced application process for obtaining a driver's license was a policy recommendation following the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.