Fort Bliss begins REAL ID requirements
With the implementation of the REAL ID Act, New Mexico driver’s license holders will have to jump through extra hoops to board planes and enter federal facilities including Fort Bliss.
On January 13th, Fort Bliss implemented REAL ID Act compliance checks. For those with New Mexico and other non-compliant licenses, they will need to use other forms of ID to get on post. Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota and Washington licenses are not in compliance with the REAL ID Act either.
If the appropriate documentation is provided and cleared, Fort Bliss says a standard 30-day pass will be issued. Fort Bliss says the following ID documents are acceptable.
a. U.S. passport or U.S. passport card.
b. Permanent resident card or Alien Registration Receipt Card (INS Form I-551).
c. Foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa.
d. Foreign passport with a current arrival-departure record (INS Form I-94) bearing the same names as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien’s nonimmigrant status, if that status authorizes the alien to work for the employer.
e. Employment authorization document that contains a photograph (INS Form I-766).
f. In the case of a non-immigrant alien authorized to work for a specific employer incident to status, a foreign passport with INS Form I-94 or INS Form I-94A bearing the same name as the passport and containing an endorsement of the alien’s non-immigrant status, as long as the endorsement has not yet expired and the proposed employment is not in conflict with any restrictions or limitations identified on the form.
g. Driver’s license or identification card issued by a State or outlying possession of the United States provided it contains a photograph and biographic information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address and meets REAL ID compliance standards.
h. Identification card issued by Federal, State, or local government agencies, provided it contains a photograph and biographic information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address.
i. School identification card with a photograph.
j. U.S. Military or draft record.
k. U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card or TWIC.
l. Native American tribal document.
Anyone who doesn’t have a REAL ID Act compliant identification will still be able to visit the post. Once cleared, they will receive a day pass on a one-time basis. However, they will only have escorted access to the post.
