How to Get a REAL ID in Berks County
What a REAL ID costs, what to bring, and where to get one in Berks County, including the Exeter center that issues it the same day.
To get a REAL ID in Berks County, bring proof of your identity, Social Security number, and Pennsylvania address to a PennDOT driver license center and pay a one-time $30 fee plus your regular license renewal fee. The Exeter Township center issues a REAL ID the same day; the Shillington center verifies your documents and mails the card. A REAL ID is optional, and you only need one if you plan to board a domestic flight or enter a military base or certain federal buildings.
REAL ID is a federal standard for driver's licenses and ID cards, run in Pennsylvania by PennDOT, the state transportation department. The county has no role in it. A REAL ID looks like a regular license or ID card with a gold star in the top right corner.
When you need one
Since May 7, 2025, adults have needed a federally accepted ID to board domestic commercial flights and to enter military bases and federal facilities that check ID at the door. A REAL ID meets that standard, but it is not the only thing that does. A valid U.S. passport or a military ID works too, so if you already have one of those and do not want a REAL ID, you are covered.
You do not need a REAL ID to drive, vote, pick up mail, visit a hospital, enter a federal courthouse, or apply for federal benefits. Children under 18 do not need one to fly as long as the adult traveling with them has an accepted ID.
If you rarely fly and hold a passport, you may not need a REAL ID at all. PennDOT has a short quiz that walks through whether it is worth getting.
Where to go in Berks County
Berks has two PennDOT driver license centers, and the difference between them matters for REAL ID:
Exeter Township, 4375 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, PA 19606, is a Same-Day REAL ID Center: staff verify your documents on the spot and print your REAL ID before you leave.
Shillington, 530 East Lancaster Ave., Suite 5, Shillington, PA 19607, processes REAL ID applications but is not a same-day center. Staff verify and image your documents, and PennDOT mails the card, usually within 15 business days.
Both centers keep the same hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., closed Sunday, Monday, and state holidays. Our guide to the driver's license centers covers the full range of services at each.
What it costs
A REAL ID adds a one-time $30 fee on top of the standard fee for your license or ID card. You pay it once; when you renew later, there is no extra REAL ID charge.
The most common case is a four-year non-commercial driver's license, where the standard renewal fee is $39.50, for a total of $69.50. Fees differ for ID cards and for older drivers on a two-year cycle; the full list is on PennDOT's payments and fees page.
Your first REAL ID is valid for whatever time is left on your current license plus an additional four years, so your expiration date moves out accordingly.
What to bring
To issue a REAL ID, PennDOT has to see original or certified documents in these four categories:
- One document proving identity and lawful status: a certified U.S. birth certificate (the raised-seal kind, not a hospital souvenir) or a valid U.S. passport.
- One document proving your Social Security number: your Social Security card, a W-2, an SSA-1099 or non-SSA-1099, or a pay stub showing all nine digits in your current legal name.
- Two documents proving Pennsylvania residency, such as a current utility bill, a vehicle registration, or a lease or mortgage statement showing your name and address. PennDOT requires two physical documents, not printouts of electronic bills.
- Proof of any name change, if your current name differs from your identity document: a certified marriage certificate for each change, a court order, or an amended birth certificate. You can skip this if your passport already shows your current name.
Bring originals or certified copies. Photocopies are not accepted, and a missing document means a second trip. PennDOT's document check lists the acceptable items in detail.
You may already be pre-verified
If you got your first Pennsylvania license or ID after September 2003, PennDOT may already have the documents it needs on file, as long as your name, date of birth, and gender have not changed since. You can apply to be pre-verified online, and PennDOT will let you know, usually within 15 business days, whether it can confirm your records. If it can, you order the REAL ID online at dmv.pa.gov and it arrives in the mail. You still pay the $30 fee plus your renewal fee.
If you are not pre-verified, you have to appear in person at a driver license center with the documents above. Non-U.S. citizens and commercial driver's license holders must apply in person in every case. Going to the Exeter center means walking out with the card the same day.
FAQ
How much does a REAL ID cost in Pennsylvania?
A one-time $30 fee plus your standard license or ID renewal fee. For a four-year non-commercial driver's license, the renewal fee is $39.50, so the total is $69.50. You are not charged the $30 again at future renewals.
Where can I get a same-day REAL ID in Berks County?
The Exeter Township driver license center at 4375 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, is a Same-Day REAL ID Center, so it prints the card while you wait. The Shillington center processes applications but mails the card. Both are open Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
What documents do I need for a REAL ID?
One proof of identity and lawful status (certified birth certificate or U.S. passport), one proof of your Social Security number, and two proofs of Pennsylvania residency. If your name has changed, bring a certified marriage certificate, court order, or amended birth certificate.
Do I have to get a REAL ID?
No. It is optional. You need a federally accepted ID to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities, but a valid U.S. passport or military ID also meets that requirement. You never need a REAL ID to drive or vote.
Can I get a REAL ID online?
Only if PennDOT has already verified your documents and marked you pre-verified. In that case you can order online at dmv.pa.gov and receive it by mail. Otherwise you must apply in person at a driver license center.
Sources and contact
- PennDOT REAL ID in Pennsylvania for who needs one and how to apply
- PennDOT REAL ID Center Locations confirming Exeter as a same-day center
- PennDOT REAL ID Document Check for the exact document list
- PennDOT Payments and Fees for the $30 fee and renewal fees
PennDOT Driver License Center information: 717-412-5300 (TDD users dial 711).
Not sure whether a service is run by the state, the county, or your township? Our guide to how Berks County government works sorts it out, and if you need to reach a center without driving, BARTA can get you there.
Sources
The public records this story is reported from.