ANTIOCH, Tenn. — Hundreds of Tennessee residents lined up at a community event this weekend to get their Real IDs, with the federal deadline just weeks away.
By May 7, Tennessee residents will need a Real ID to board domestic flights or enter federal buildings.
State Senator Charlane Oliver organized a special one-day event at the Southeast Community Center to help residents avoid the long lines that have plagued driver's license service centers across the state.
"I didn't want people standing in line at the DMV," Oliver said. "I wanted to make sure this was a convenient one-stop shop."
More than 700 people registered for the event, and even more showed up forcing organizers to turn some away.
"I wish we could serve everyone, but with the influx of people we have we had to have a system," Oliver said.
Many attendees expressed relief at the streamlined process.
"That whole process, once I got up there, it took 5 minutes," Teresa Burse said.
The event featured food and volunteers to help guide people through the process, creating a more festive atmosphere than a typical DMV visit.
"We are here having a good time and we're meeting strangers that are becoming family. That's how we do over here," Carmella Hodges Matthews said. "I use my passport a lot and everything. I just never took time, but I was like, let me beat the deadline."
Organizers plan to schedule another event to meet the high demand.
They added residents can still apply for their Real ID after the May 7th deadline.
Residents seeking a Real ID need to bring original or certified copies of several documents: proof of U.S. citizenship or legal presence, proof of their full Social Security number, two proofs of Tennessee residency, and certified legal documents for any name changes.
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Struggling to gather the right documents for your Real ID or facing long wait times? Share your experience or questions with me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
