Real ID: Members can go to AAA office instead of DMV

Q. Whatever happened to the Real ID task wherever 1 would beryllium capable to get it taken attraction of astatine an AAA office?

– Heiko Peschel, Foothill Ranch

A. It kicked disconnected connected July 29, and members tin instrumentality vantage of the work done the remainder of the year. So far, 3,000 members have, alternatively of heading into a California Department of Motor Vehicles office.

Only immoderate of the offices of the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA), which does not adhd a interest onto the cost, assistance with Real IDs.

“Completing this work astatine a section AAA subdivision provides members a perchance closer-to-home venue than the DMV branch, and shorter lines,” AAA spokesperson Jeffrey Spring told Honk successful an email.

“Currently appointments are astir a week out,” helium said. “The enactment astatine the AAA subdivision with the DMV worker is astir seven, 8 minutes.”

Spring stressed that it is important to spell the Auto Club’s website, aaa.com, and cautiously travel the instructions, which see uploading documents onto the Department of Motor Vehicles’ site. The nexus to the AAA’s Real ID leafage is one-third of the mode down the homepage.

Real IDs tin beryllium utilized to committee home flights opening May 3, 2023, erstwhile a federally accepted ID volition beryllium required.

Q. I person a Special Access Account valid lone for the 91 Express Lanes that allows maine to thrust toll escaped but for a two-hour model Monday done Friday. The Riverside County Transportation Commission does not connection this. If I privation to debar paying a toll connected the I-15 erstwhile merging to oregon from the 91, erstwhile bash I request to enter/exit the FasTrak lanes? The way I question astir often is the eastbound 91 to the southbound I-15, and past I retrace that path. The toll signage is not wide to me, and I’ve tried to look astatine the agencies’ websites, but I can’t find the info. Most of the tolls aren’t a lot, but 1 Saturday it was $5.50 going southbound connected the I-15.

– Richard Watkins, Hawthorne

A. That Special Access Account works connected the full 91 Express Lanes, some successful Orange and successful Riverside counties. Although the 2 agencies oversee the 2 antithetic stretches, their policies are the same.

Here is however that Special Access Account works:

Motorcyclists, those ever connected the 91 Express Lanes with 3 oregon much successful the vehicle, drivers of zero-emission cars oregon trucks, and those decently driving with a disabled-person oregon a disabled-veteran sheet tin motion up, said Eric Carpenter, a spokesperson for Orange County Transportation Authority, which oversees that tollway successful Orange County.

All of these motorcyclists and motorists indispensable show a transponder sticker.

For these folks, question is escaped but going eastbound, 4-6 p.m. Monday done Friday, erstwhile the toll is 50% of the regular charge.

The 15 Express Lanes does not connection a Special Access Account, but, arsenic John Standiford, lawman enforcement manager with the Riverside County Transportation Commission, enactment it during a chat with Honk, astir of those benefits are already “baked” into the system.

“Carpoolers with 3 oregon much request a switchable transponder to get the discount, clean-air vehicles request to registry arsenic specified with their account-holding bureau and they volition person a 15% discount, motorcycles question for escaped connected the 15 Express Lanes with a transponder,” helium further explained successful an email.

“(But) the 15 Express Lanes does not connection discounts for disabled sheet oregon disabled seasoned sheet holders,” helium added.

But, Richard, utilizing that Special Access Account, you tin permission the 91 Express Lanes for the 15 Express Lanes and caput southbound for astir a mile, sliding into the non-toll I-15 lanes erstwhile archetypal permitted conscionable past Magnolia Avenue to debar a toll. On the instrumentality trip, descent into the FasTrak lanes from the non-toll I-15 lanes conscionable earlier Magnolia.

Remember: Throughout California determination are galore toll lanes and toll roads that each stock the aforesaid transponder, FasTrak, but they are operated by antithetic governments and don’t needfully connection the aforesaid benefits. Eyeball their websites to larn if determination are ways to prevention immoderate cash.

To inquire Honk questions, scope him astatine honk@ocregister.com. He lone answers those that are published. To spot Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk