Mass RMV Reaches 3.5 Million REAL ID Credentials

11:29AM / Saturday, September 13, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) announced it has reached a milestone of 3.5 million REAL ID credentials.

To date, more than 3.5 million Registry-issued, active credentials are REAL-ID compliant, giving Massachusetts a 62 percent compliance rate.

"The Registry of Motor Vehicles has made tremendous progress in helping residents secure a REAL ID for travel and access to certain federal buildings, and we are incredibly proud to have reached the milestone of 3.5 million credentials issued," said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt. "This achievement would not have been possible without the dedication, professionalism, and compassion of our Registry staff. Day after day, they work hard to serve the public with patience and care, and we are truly grateful for all they do. We also appreciate partners like AAA who continue to support customers throughout the process. As summer winds down and people begin planning for Thanksgiving and the holidays, we are ready to help even more residents. If you want a REAL ID, check what documents to bring, schedule an appointment at a customer center, and know that our team is here to support you from start to finish."

As a reminder, anyone who qualifies, can still obtain a REAL ID credential. Massachusetts residents seeking a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card are strongly encouraged to go online now at Mass.Gov/REALID to learn what documents are needed for a required in-person appointment. By federal requirement, anyone traveling by plane domestically or entering certain federal facilities needs a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or ID, a valid passport, or other federally-accepted form of identification.

Residents are advised to start the application process early, it may take approximately two weeks to receive a REAL ID credential after an application is approved.

The Registry will continue to process REAL ID transactions, so there is no need for anyone to think they ‘missed' their chance. If you have imminent travel planned and you do not have a compliant piece of identification, the RMV is still accepting walk-ins at customer service centers.

The fee to obtain or renew a REAL ID compliant credential is the same as obtaining or renewing the equivalent non-compliant credential:

The fee for renewing a non-commercial standard or a REAL ID driver's license is $50.
The fee for renewing a Mass ID is $25.
The amendment fee for upgrading to REAL ID credential before an existing credential's expiration is $25.
Customers with a less than five-year stay in the U.S. pay a pro-rated fee.

Appointments can be scheduled by visiting the RMV's Online Service Center at Mass.Gov/myRMV or if you are a AAA member at https://northeast.aaa.com/automotive/registry-services/massachusetts.html.

The RMV has posted helpful information on REAL ID requirements that customers can use to prepare for their in-person visits, including convenient document checklists to help pre-stage REAL ID applications, at Mass.Gov/REALID. Documents required for this transaction include:

proof of lawful presence,
two (2) proofs of Massachusetts residency, and
proof of a full Social Security Number (SSN).

Customers who have had a name change since the issuance of a birth certificate, passport, or other lawful presence document, will need to show the reason for the name change by presenting documentation like a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court document. These required documents must be original or certified versions. The RMV recommends customers gather these documents well in advance of appointments to ensure they have the information required by federal law.

Customers are eligible to renew up to one year in advance of the expiration date printed on their license or ID. Customers who already have a full-term compliant credential may renew online, provided their legal name has not changed. A REAL ID-compliant credential from the Massachusetts RMV has a star surrounded by a yellow or gold circle, at the top right corner of the license or ID.

The Massachusetts RMV has been offering the REAL ID to customers since March of 2018. For information on acceptable identification at airport security points, please visit tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.

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Companion Corner: Princess at Berkshire Humane Society

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
02:17PM / Wednesday, August 05, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — There is an energetic girl waiting to find her new home at the Berkshire Humane Society.

iBerkshire's Companion Corner is a weekly series spotlighting an animal in our local shelters that is ready to find a home.

Princess is a six year old shepherd mix that has been at the shelter for just over a month.

Canine caregiver and adoption counselor Simone Olivieri told us about Princess.

"She's very social, very friendly. When you're out walking her, she just wants to go say hi to every single new person. Loves to make new friends. She's a lot of fun. She's very active. She's very spunky. She's very playful, and she's going to need a very very active family who's going to do a lot with her."

But Princess is no stranger to the shelter. She was a puppy five years ago and got adopted quickly, but now she needs a new family to take care of her.

"She was adopted out fairly quickly as a young puppy. She's been in the same home for the past five years. Unfortunately, they were moving out of state somewhere," Olivieri said. "They could not take her with them, so she ended up coming as a return to shelter, and she came back to stay with us."

Princess needs to go to a home as the only animal or with other male dogs that are her size or bigger.

"Her perfect home would be kids eight and up. No cats. No small animals. She has quite a prey drive. She could go to a home with another dog around her size or larger, preferably a male dog. She does a little bit better with male dogs, and she's looking for a home where people are home quite a bit, so that she's not left alone for too long. She has some separation anxiety," Olivieri said.

She also needs a very active home that can let her use her energy every day, as she is very rambunctious. Especially with playing with her favorite toy, the flirt pole.

"She could use a home where people are going to give her a lot of attention and more than just a few walks a day; she's going to need lots of exercise, lots of playtime, lots of mental stimulation," Olivieri said. "She likes to learn, so someone who would be willing to take her to training classes or work on some training with her, as well as hikes, getting out and about, doing new things, different things. She is very athletic. She'd excel at things like agility, some dog sports. Just someone who is really going to want to engage and do a lot of different kinds of activities with her."

Once you let her get her energy out, she is a cuddler who wouldn't mind being held like a baby from time to time.

"She's very sweet. She's very cuddly. She's very affectionate, but she is not a couch potato. She will stay on that couch with you for a little bit, and then she's ready to go off and do something else. So she's very busy. She's very active," Olivieri said. "Once all of her exercise needs are met during the day, she will settle down nicely, and she will want to be right by your side, cuddle with you at night on the couch, sleep with you."

Princess is very healthy but does experience some anxiety and is not fully potty trained and might have the occasional accident.

"She does have a little bit of anxiety, so she is on some medication for it right now," Olivieri said. "So a lot of structure, a lot of outlets, and familiarity, getting used to a new routine and everything is gonna be really good for her. I mean, she's just lovely. Like I said, she's very social. She likes to play with other dogs. She likes to meet new people."

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