Mass RMV Reaches 3.5 Million REAL ID Credentials

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.

Toys for Tots Bringing Presents to Thousands of Kids This Year

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Friday, December 05, 2025

Volunteers organize toys by age and gender in the House of Corrections storage facility. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Plenty of toys are on their way to children this holiday season thanks to Toys for Tots.

Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local toy drive for the Berkshire Chapter of the Marine Corps Reserve since 2015 and said he has seen the need rise every year, last year helping more than 6,000 kids.

"This is 11 years I've been doing it, and the need has gone up every year. It's gone up every year, and I anticipate it going up even more this year," Keegan said.

On Thursday, the Berkshire County House of Corrections storage facility was overflowing with toys making it the county's very own Santa's workshop. 

Keegan said Berkshire County always shows up with toys or donations. 

"This county is outstanding when it comes to charity. They rally around stuff. They're very giving, they're very generous, and they've been tremendous in this effort, the toys for pride effort, since I've been doing it, our goal is to honor every request, and we've always reached that goal," he said.

Keegan's team is about 20 to 25 volunteers who sort out toys based on age and gender. This week, the crew started collecting from the 230 or so boxes set out around the county on Oct. 1.

"The two age groups that are probably more difficult — there's a newborn to 2s, boys and girls, and 11 to 14, boys and girls. Those are the two challenging ages where we need to focus our attention on a little bit more," he said.

Toys For Tots has about 30 participating schools and agencies that sign up families and individuals who need help putting gifts under the tree. Keegan takes requests right up until the last minute on Christmas.

"We can go out shopping for Christmas. I had sent my daughter out Christmas Eve morning. Hey, we need X amount of toys and stuff, but the requests are still rolling in from individuals, and I don't say no, we'll make it work however we can," he said.

Community members help to raise money or bring in unopened and unused toys. Capeless Elementary student Thomas St. John recently raised $1,000 selling hot chocolate and used the money to buy toys for the drive.

"It's amazing how much it's grown and how broad it is, how many people who were involved," Keegan said.

On Saturday, Live 95.9 personalities Bryan Slater and Marjo Catalano of "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" will host a Toys for Tots challenge at The Hot Dog Ranch and Proprietor's Lodge. Keegan said they have been very supportive of the drive and that they were able to collect more than 3,000 toys for the drive last year.

Volunteer Debbie Melle has been volunteering with Toys for Tots in the county for about five years and said people really showed up to give this year.

"I absolutely love it. It's what we always say. It's organized chaos, but it's rewarding. And what I actually this year, I'm so surprised, because the amount that the community has given us, and you can see that when you see these pictures, that you've taken, this is probably the most toys we've ever gotten," she said. "So I don't know if people just feel like this is a time to give and they're just going above and beyond, but I'm blown away. This year we can barely walk down the aisles for how much, how many toys are here. It's wonderful."