I’ve been putting off getting my Real ID, the replacement for the standard Tennessee driver’s license that allows access to federal buildings, international flights, and so on. The deadline has been changed several times and is now March of 2025 (I think). I decided to go ahead now and get it over with.
Several forms of identification are required. A birth certificate, Social Security number, and two documents proving my existence and residence. My birth certificate wasn’t acceptable, since it was not notarized or in color, and so a trip to the office on Dameron Avenue was needed. The process was fairly painless and not all that expensive, and I gathered my documents, went to the County Clerk’s office, and got my temporary Real ID and an updated picture to go with it.
I decided that, while I had all this documentation gathered, to apply for a passport. I’ve never had one, and while I don’t fly, I’ve wanted to take the trans-Canada railroad for some time now. Also, I have friends in Brownsville, Texas, and if I make it down to see them a trip into Mexico would be a possibility. Plus, my grandniece recently needed a passport for an upcoming mission trip to Central America, and her application process was so convoluted and such a comedy of errors that my sister ended up making a call to Marsha Blackburn. The Senator’s office promised an appointment the next day for an expedited passport and came through, sort of. A trip to Atlanta was necessary to keep the appointment, so a 400 mile round trip. For all of these reasons I thought, while I’ve got the info, better to go ahead when I’m not in a time crunch.
You can’t do a walk-in passport application, so I made an appointment while I was getting my Real ID. The lady gave me two applications and told me if I made a mistake not to fix it. I’d need to start all over again with a fresh application. It’s so much more detailed than I expected. In addition to all my info, I had to list my parents’ full names as well as date and place of birth (as far as I knew).
The office was crowded that day, so even with an appointment it took an hour or so. I had filled out one form in the required black ink and, of course, made a mistake. There is the option to complete the form online, which I did, but my printer not only will print in some but not all of the colors, but evidently cut off the bottom part of the form. Fortunately I had also filled out a second form by hand. I had brought both to the appointment and the clerk used the hand-printed one as the official application.
My picture was, well, until that day I didn’t think I could be less photogenic than I already knew I was. Fortunately very few people will ever see this image.
They took my application, my terrible photo, my birth certificate, and a check, and told me it would take six to eight weeks. So in a couple of months, with my Real ID and my passport, I’ll be registered, up to date, and in the system.