Fix DMV's REAL ID mess, improve customer service, communication

The effort to get a REAL ID driver's license shouldn't drive a person crazy. 

And yet, for too many Long Islanders, it has become a maddening experience. 

A REAL ID is now required by federal law for travel by air within the United States for anyone who doesn't have a passport at hand. But New York state's process for getting one is complicated and frustrating, requiring multiple pieces of identification and an appointment at the Department of Motor Vehicles that's tough to get.

And for women who were married before 1986 and changed their last names, the REAL ID process has become downright ridiculous. The complication: Marriage certificates issued before 1986 listed a woman's maiden name, but not her married one. So, at some DMV offices, employees are denying REAL ID applications when the marriage certificates don't specifically list a married name despite DMV guidelines that say it's "acceptable" to use a new name if it's one of the two spouses' names, or a combination of the two. At times, couples have had to get remarried at their town and village halls, just to obtain a valid certificate to complete the REAL ID process.

This is an absurd problem but not a surprising one that emerged from a Byzantine bureaucracy with poor communication.

Dealing with the DMV has never been easy. While the agency made some strides, such as introducing License Express offices that made traditional renewals easier, it's usually a labyrinth of paperwork, phone calls, office visits and endless waits.

The new federal REAL ID requirement has made a bad situation worse. The necessary paperwork is intense. The wait times have been lengthy. The added headaches — like the married name quirk — have exacerbated the frustrations. And the mandate to have the high security ID is spottily enforced: Some travelers have been ushered through airports without the REAL ID in their wallets.

The DMV must do better. That starts with providing clear guidance to local offices, particularly about the marriage certificate conundrum, so spouses who changed their names can get a REAL ID without going through extra hoops. The department also should take other steps to smooth the REAL ID process. Earlier this year, the DMV temporarily opened 10 downstate offices, including two on Long Island, on Saturdays to process REAL ID applications, a move that was to last only through the end of June. The DMV should consider adding such expansive hours permanently. Where possible, the department should establish pop-up locations or offices similar to License Express in New York City, so Long Islanders can take care of their motor vehicle business quickly.

The REAL ID debacle illustrated larger concerns about the way the DMV operates. State officials should prioritize upgrades to the DMV's customer service and communication, so the experience becomes more manageable. Then, perhaps Long Islanders can take to the roads — and skies — with a bit more ease.