OK Licenses Will No Longer Be Accepted For Access Onto Military Bases

Your Oklahoma driver's license many not get you on military bases after October 10. Oklahoma legislators failed last session to make our Oklahoma Driver's licenses REAL ID compliant, and the current extension expires October 10. Without another extension, visitors to the bases will no longer be able to use their Oklahoma driver’s license for identification.

HGL Construction does work on all three military bases in Oklahoma. During a recent site visit they were told that after October 10, an Oklahoma driver's license would no longer be an acceptable identification to get them on base.

“It will require not only HGL, but our subcontractors to secure passports, which most of our subcontractors wouldn’t necessarily have,” said Patrick Renshaw, the VP and Director of Preconstruction for HGL Construction.

Public Affairs officers at the bases say the new rules will also affect delivery drivers and even family members visiting the base for graduations or ceremonies. At Ft. Sill, they are warning loved ones now about the change, so they have time to get the necessary documentation.

Renshaw says they've also been making plans.

“We’ve been advising our employees that they need to prepare, have all the documentation necessary to secure a passport. We’ve also been advising our subcontractors the same thing.”

He says subcontractors are not happy about it. Making sure everyone has an acceptable identification will cost time and money. Passports aren't cheap and take about six weeks to get and Renshaw says those costs will likely get passed on to the base.

“The end result: The taxpayer will end up footing the bill.”

The Department of Public Safety says they have applied for another extension. We'll have to wait to see they get it.

An Oklahoma License will still be acceptable identification at Federal Buildings and airports, for now. 

Additional information on acceptable ID’s on military bases after October 10th

All individuals who work or live on base already possess military issued credentials for base access. Identity proofing was done using approved identification credentials with a background check conducted through law enforcement authoritative databases. That will not change. What will change is which IDs for proof of identity will be accepted. Acceptable alternative forms of ID are the following:

• U.S. Passport
• U.S. Passport Card
• Permanent Resident Card/Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551).
• A foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine-readable immigrant visa.
• An employment authorization document that contains a photograph (Form I- 766).
• Identification card issued by Federal, State, or local government agencies, provided it contains a photograph and biographic information such as name, date of birth, gender, height, eye color, and address.
• U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Cards/Credentials.
• PIV or Federally-Issued PIV-1 Cards (Personal Identification Verification) issued by the Federal Government.
• PIV-I card (Personal identification verification-Interoperable Issued by Non-Federal Government entities).
• DHS “Trusted Traveler Cards” (Global entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST).
• Merchant Mariner card issued by DHS/ United States Coast Guard (USCG).
• Border Crossing Card (Form DSP-150).
• U.S. Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-550) and U.S. Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551).
• U.S. Refugee travel document or other travel document or evidence of immigration status issued by DHS containing a photograph.
• A Foreign Government-Issued Passport.

Visitors:

All visitors are required to have the proper identification to access an Air Force installation. If they are being escorted by a sponsor with military issued credentials in a single vehicle, a photo ID will suffice without a background check. If an individual is escorted, the sponsor is required to be physically present with the individual for the duration of the visit to the base. If the guests need to travel unescorted onto an Air Force Installation, guests 18 and over will need a background check and an access pass. The passes will be valid for the duration of the visit. In order to conduct the background check, a REAL ID Act-compliant credential will be required to establish individual identity. Those who do not have the accepted documentation for installation access will not be permitted to enter the base without an approved escort.

Delivery drivers:

Delivery drivers will be required to receive an access pass and background check when they deliver on the installation. It should only add a few minutes to the delivery time, provided the delivery driver meets the criteria for receiving an access pass. The duration of the pass will vary by need. In order to conduct the background check, a REAL ID Act-compliant credential will be required to establish individual identity. Those who do not have the accepted documentation for installation access will not be permitted to enter the base without an approved escort.

Civilian employees:

There is no change for base access to individuals who already possess military issued credentials. Those incoming employees who do not currently have military issued credentials will need identity proofing using approved identification credentials with a background check conducted through law enforcement authoritative databases.