Commercial drivers will need Alaska real IDs to work this year. The real ID is voluntary for non commercial drivers at this time. But as of this January 2nd, new commercial drivers must have the REAL ID.

Theresa Albecker is the customer service representative at the Haines DMV. She says seasonal commercial drivers may be unaware of the change and unprepared to obtain a commercial driver’s license, or CDL, before they start working.

“I’m just worried about the summer employment people, that the bus drivers for the tour bus and lugging the passengers from the cruise ship docks for their tours… The ones that are coming here from the lower 48, from South, are gonna come up here and try to get a CDL,” she said.

Existing CDLs stand until they expire. But new CDLs include out of state transfers, as well as first time applicants or renewals.

The real ID is a federally recognized ID and it’s a little harder to get than a regular state ID in terms of paperwork. Albecker says applicants need to present a birth certificate or current passport, social security card. and two forms of proof of residence.

“It’s really hard because they have to have two things with their physical  address on it. One of them can be from the employer but the next one. The other one that proves their address has to be something else, said Albecker. “They’re going to have to have a rental agreement, a water bill, sewer bill, light bill, something with a physical address on it.”

That’s the tough one for seasonal workers–and it’s catching local tour companies by surprise. Alaska Nature Tours and Chilkat River Adventures both employ out of state seasonal drivers, but neither company has a plan for the change yet.

Albecker says there’s usually more than ten new CDL applicants each season. She suggests out of state seasonal workers start their paperwork before they come up to work. You can apply for a Real ID at the DMV. The fee is an additional $20.