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Woman gets Real ID with photo of herself wearing a face mask
Stephanie Lin
Woman gets Real ID with photo of herself wearing a face mask
KCRA 3’S STEPHANIE LIN SHOWS US JUST WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW THE DMV PLANS TO FIX THE ERROR. LESLEY: MY FIRST REACTION WAS, I WAS CONCERNED. STEPHANIE: WHEN SACRAMENTO NATIVE LESLEY PILGRIM GOT HER REAL ID IN THE MAIL SHE NEVER EXPECTED TO SEE THIS PHOTO OF HERSELF CAMERA WITH HER FACE MASK ON. LESLEY: THIS CAN’T BE LEGAL IDENTIFICATION. THERE’S NO WAY IF I GIVE THIS TO A POLICE OFFICER OR TSA AGENT, THEY WON’T ARREST ME. STEPHANIE: THE PHOTO CLEARLY HALF OF HER FACE COVERED. PILGRIM TELLING US, SHE DOES REMEMBER THE DMV WORKER TAKING A PHOTO OF HER WITHOUT HER FACE MASK. LESLEY: I THOUGHT IT WAS A CRISIS AVERTED. OH GOOD, HE CORRECTED HIS MISTAKE. STEPHANIE: UNFORTUNATELY THIS PICTURE IS THE ONE THAT WENT INTO PRINT. A DISAPPOINTING OUTCOME ATER A THREE HOUR WAIT AT A LAGUNA BEACH DMV. >> CLEARLY THERE WAS SOME MISCOMMUNICATION AT SOME LEVEL STEPHANIE: WE REACHED OUT TO DMV HEADQUARTERS, A SPOKESPERSON TELLING US THEY ARE INVESTIGATING THE MISTAKE. >> WE’VE GONE OVER THE PROTOCOLS WITH OUR EMPLOYEES SO THEY NOW KNOW, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE CHECK. WE HAVE GIVEN 9.6 MILLION REAL IDS. WE HAVE SEEN THIS ONE WHERE THERE IS A PHOTO OF SOMEONE WITH A FACE MASK ON. STEPHANIE: A REMINDER THAT GETTING A REAL ID IS OPTIONAL. YOU’LL NEED ONE IF YOU WANT TO CONTINUE USING YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE TO BOARD DOMESTIC FLIGHTS, AND ENTER FEDERAL FACILITIES. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO GET A REAL ID, YOU’LL NEED A PASSPORT. LESLEY: IT WAS KIND OF SHOCKING, CONCERNING, AND ULTIMATELY, FUNNY. [LAUGHTER] STEPHANIE: PILGRIM, NOW FINDING THE HUMOR IN WHAT BEGAN AS A STRESSFUL SITUATION. LESLEY: THE DMV OFFICE I WENT TO, EVERYONE WAS SO POLITE, SO PATIENT. THEY ARE ALL WORKING SO HARD, THEY ARE PROVIDING AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, SO I’M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THEM, THIS WAS CLEARLY JUST A MISTAKE. STEPHANIE: THE SACRAMENTO DMV REACHED OUT TO PILGRIM THIS WEEK TO RESCHEDULE HER APPOINTMENT. SHE CAN EXPECT TO GET A NEW ID, FACE MASK FREE, AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. REPORTING FROM SACRAMENTO, STEPHANIE LIN, KCRA 3 NEWS. EDIE: THE DEADLINE TO GET YOUR REAL ID IS OCTOBER 1 OF THIS YEAR. THAT DATE IS SET BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
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Woman gets Real ID with photo of herself wearing a face mask
Stephanie Lin
When a California woman got her driver's license in the mail, she didn't expect to see a photo of herself with a face mask on. But that's what happened to Lesley Pilgrim of Sacramento. "My first reaction was, I was concerned," said Pilgrim, a third-year law student. "This can't be legal identification. There's no way if I give this to a police officer or TSA agent, they won't arrest me."The photo shows the law student with half of her face covered. Pilgrim said she does remember the DMV worker taking a photo of her with and without her face mask."I thought it was a crisis averted," she said, returning home after a three-hour wait at the Laguna Beach DMV. Unfortunately, it was the picture of her wearing her face mask that went into print. "Clearly there was some miscommunication at some level," said Anita Gore, DMV spokesperson. "We've gone over the protocols with our employees so they now know, you know, double-check." In California, Gore said the DMV has issued 9.6 million Real IDs so far, with an estimated 6 million more to go before the Oct. 1 deadline. This is the first issue the agency is aware of where a bad photo was issued. Getting a Real ID is recommended, and optional. Those who want to continue using their driver's licenses to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities must get one. Otherwise, people will need to carry their passports with them. "It was kind of shocking, concerning, and ultimately, funny," said Pilgrim, who is now finding the humor in what began as a stressful situation. "The DMV office I went to, everyone was so polite, so patient, they are all working so hard, they are providing an essential service, so I'm really grateful for them. This was clearly just a mistake."The Sacramento DMV reached out to Pilgrim this week to reschedule her appointment. She can expect to get a new ID, face mask free, at no additional charge.

When a California woman got her driver's license in the mail, she didn't expect to see a photo of herself with a face mask on.

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But that's what happened to Lesley Pilgrim of Sacramento.

"My first reaction was, I was concerned," said Pilgrim, a third-year law student. "This can't be legal identification. There's no way if I give this to a police officer or TSA agent, they won't arrest me."

The photo shows the law student with half of her face covered. Pilgrim said she does remember the DMV worker taking a photo of her with and without her face mask.

"I thought it was a crisis averted," she said, returning home after a three-hour wait at the Laguna Beach DMV.

Unfortunately, it was the picture of her wearing her face mask that went into print.

"Clearly there was some miscommunication at some level," said Anita Gore, DMV spokesperson. "We've gone over the protocols with our employees so they now know, you know, double-check."

In California, Gore said the DMV has issued 9.6 million Real IDs so far, with an estimated 6 million more to go before the Oct. 1 deadline. This is the first issue the agency is aware of where a bad photo was issued.

Getting a Real ID is recommended, and optional. Those who want to continue using their driver's licenses to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities must get one. Otherwise, people will need to carry their passports with them.

"It was kind of shocking, concerning, and ultimately, funny," said Pilgrim, who is now finding the humor in what began as a stressful situation. "The DMV office I went to, everyone was so polite, so patient, they are all working so hard, they are providing an essential service, so I'm really grateful for them. This was clearly just a mistake."

The Sacramento DMV reached out to Pilgrim this week to reschedule her appointment. She can expect to get a new ID, face mask free, at no additional charge.