For many Americans, going to a state motor vehicle office can be a tedious time suck. For people who live in rural Alaska's vast patchwork of communities not connected by roads, just getting to a DMV can be a lengthy and pricey ordeal. In remote parts of the country, such as rural Alaska, the new
1 / 5Rural Alaska Real IDFILE - In this Jan. 18, 2020, file photo, George Chakuchin, left, and Mick Chakuchin walk on ice over the Bering Sea in Toksook Bay, Alaska. Motor vehicle offices across the U.S. have experienced high demand as an Oct. 1 deadline approaches for Real IDs, special licenses many will need to board domestic flights and enter military bases and some federal buildings, but in remote parts of the country, like rural Alaska, those ID cards may be harder to get.
In Alaska, the head of the department that oversees the state Division of Motor Vehicles has downplayed the need for Real ID cards, citing alternatives requiring less stringent documentation, such as passports, military IDs or tribal photo IDs. “We should not be providing state services in a tiered manner that provides more specialized access or opportunity for some section of Alaskans,” said Bethel Rep. Tiffany Zulkosky, who noted about 30 communities in her district lack immediate DMV access.
The state's largest Native organization, the Alaska Federation of Natives, has called on the state to visit rural Native communities to provide DMV services for Real IDs. Alaska has more than 200 tribes. Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim delta has more than 23,000 people in 58 communities not connected by roads, according to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., which provides health care throughout the region.
She said about 65,000 people in Alaska have military IDs and more than 100,000 have Real IDs. Wamsganz said there could be overlap in the numbers since some Alaskans choose to get a Real ID as an additional form of identification.
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