BOISE, Idaho — Idaho residents rushing to get their Star Cards before the May 7 federal deadline now have a new option to beat the long wait times at DMV offices.
The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) has opened a pop-up service center at its Chinden campus, where no appointments are needed to obtain the federally compliant ID.
"People can get their Star Card at any time, but if you're going to be flying on May 7th or after, eventually you're going to need to get that," said Britt Rosenthal with ITD.
With regular DMV appointments booked until June at some locations, the pop-up service offers relief for procrastinators needing the REAL ID-compliant identification.
"I just kept postponing it, and then I never fly and finally flew for work this week," said Dylan Hartley.
"It's been a while. I've kind of been holding off, but I wanna travel this summer, see the fam, and thought to get it done today," said Charles Gordon.
To get a Star Card, residents need to bring a birth certificate, a Social Security card, and two proofs of residency, such as a utility bill.
"Just a couple weeks ago, Idaho was at 55 percent, we're up to 57 percent that have their Star Cards, so a lot of people really clamoring to get them, so we opened up what we're calling a pop-up here at our Chinden campus," said Rosenthal.
The process requires payment by debit or credit card, and applicants should expect to receive their physical Star Card in 2 to 4 weeks. ITD recommends keeping both the old ID and temporary Star ID together until the permanent card arrives.
For those unable to get a Star Card before traveling, Rosenthal offers alternatives: "If someone is traveling and they're not able to get down to this campus, they're not able to get an appointment, you don't have a Star Card, they can use a passport, passport card, military ID, something like that."
While there's no deadline to get a Star Card, enforcement begins May 7, when travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant identification to board domestic flights. The pop-up service will be available throughout this week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
