You Can Still Get Your Real ID After May 7th, So Here’s How to Get Your Birth Certificate Because You’ll Need It

I really don't do a whole lot of flying or strolling through federal buildings, so acquiring my Real ID, something you'll need in order to do those and other things, wasn't uppermost in my mind.

But since the day will eventually come when I need to board an airplane (or maybe enter certain federal buildings or go onto a military base), I'm relieved to learn I can still get one when I'll need one. The whole "May 7th" thing had been confusing, so I did a specific search about how important it is I get one by that date. That's when the confusion ended and I found out that beginning May 7th, we'll need the new form of identification for the aforementioned purposes.

In casual conversation, a friend of mine said it would be easier to just get a passport; she just secured hers for an upcoming overseas vacation.

How to Get Your Birth Certificate

If you missed the Real ID deadline, and if you will eventually need one, you'll need to prove you're a Kentucky resident, prove who you are, and provide your social security number. In order to secure your birth certificate for these purposes, the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services suggests a few options. You can obviously drive to Frankfort and pick one up. Preferable options would likely be securing one through VitalChek or sending a request to the Office of Vital Statistics at 275 East Main Street, 1 E-A Frankfort, KY 40621.

If you order through VitalChek, you may pick up your birth certificate in person. This also goes for death certificates, should you need one of those.