ORLANDO, Fla. — Staff with IDignity say they’ve received more calls than usual in recent weeks due to new REAL ID requirements for domestic flights.

What You Need To Know

  • REAL ID requirements began Wednesday, required for U.S. domestic travel

  • IDignity helps people obtain their legal identification documents, such as ID cards, social security cards, and birth certificates

  • The nonprofit's program manager says they've received more calls and emails in recent weeks due to confusion about REAL ID requirements

  • Volunteers help roughly 300 clients a week

The nonprofit helps people obtain their legal identification documents, such as ID cards, licenses, social security cards, U.S. birth certificates, and replacement immigration documents. Their services are free.

“We’ll have clients that came to us before and are coming to us again now that the REAL ID Act has been enforced and they’re wanting us to help them solve their issues with their identification,” said program manager Micaela Cox.

Her team works with roughly 300 clients a week. Cox says there has been a lot of confusion as to what clients can and cannot do without a REAL ID.

“Our calls do seem to be higher, our emails are higher, our service request forms are higher because a lot of people are wanting help and wanting REAL ID to be solved and get that gold star on their ID,” she said.

Cox has also received an increase in referrals from government agencies.

“A client might walk into a government agency and say ‘I need my ID’ and that agency is not able to help, so the agency is actually able to push them to IDignity so that way IDignity can help them navigate the system as well,” she said.

Volunteers with the nonprofit host Identification Service Days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 425 N. Magnolia Ave from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There are also locations in Seminole, Volusia, and Osceola counties.

The program has helped people like Xenia Ortiz get her identification back. By obtaining her ID card again, she recently graduated from Valencia College as an honors student.

“I wouldn’t be here today. I wouldn’t have graduated from Valencia College if it wouldn’t have been for that ID,” said Ortiz.

Ortiz said seeing her license in person makes her emotional.

“They made me a person,” she shared.

Passports can be used as an alternative to REAL ID at airports.

IDignity doesn’t currently help with passport services, but they can help clients get the documents they need to apply for one.