The Real ID Wizard: DMV's Power Move

Were you aware that on October 1, 2020, you’ll no longer be able to board a plane with just your standard driver’s license? WTNH News 8 recently asked Connecticut residents this very question.

Guess how many knew the answer?

DMV certainly knows this number. Which is why, for the last nine years, they’ve been pushing compliance with new federal standard for identification: REAL ID.

The cold fact is, once October arrives, only a valid passport or a Real ID will get you through airport security.

So now, with the 11th hour quickly approaching, DMV is laser-focused on making the Real ID application process as easy as possible.

Draining the Document Pool

In order to get a Real ID, you need to bring several identity and residency documents to a DMV office. And that can sometimes involve laborious web searches or phone calls to a DMV service rep to understand the exact support documents needed.

To add to the problem, some people have arrived at the DMV, papers in hand, only to find out that the documents they brought in were not legally permissible. For instance - a social security document that didn’t display the complete SS number; or a passport that had expired.

(DAY = RUINED)

Online Logic Gives Control Back to the User

So DMV partnered with CT Digital Services to build a highly customized online document assistant (known among staff as “the Wizard”) which intelligently guides users through the Real ID process. By clicking a logical set of boxes, customers can easily assemble the exact documents they need, along with the precise rules that will prevent their papers from getting rejected.

This is a game-changer. The logic that’s built into the DMV wizard was designed to be predictive and comprehensive. Not only can it guide you through choppy document trails that involve name changes, it can even point you to the exact departments where you can get missing documents.

It’s a simple but powerful solution that will radically reduce the number of unprepared in-person visits, decreasing the burden on both the customer and DMV field reps.

On the plus side, this new tool should help motivate even more Connecticut residents to get a Real ID.

The Wizard Goes Primetime

The new Real ID document wizard has proved so promising that, besides being featured on the news, it briefly grabbed a lucrative front-page spot on the homepage for Connecticut government. It’s kind of like making Amazon’s “Deal of the Day” list.

But here’s the real question. Are people using it? So far, the answer to that seems clear. In the two short months since the new Real ID site went live, the wizard has logged almost 30,000 unique sessions.

The true impact of this will be seen on October 1, when you show up at that TSA checkpoint. Preparation and the Real ID wizard can help reduce any hassles and keep those lines moving.

But bring a snack . . . just in case.

-CTDS

• Do you or someone you know need a Real ID? Maybe you just want to take the document wizard for a spin? Check it out now and see how Connecticut Digital Services is pushing new technology for simpler government solutions that make every resident’s life better.