The federal law is designed to tighten security for state-issued identification.
The 8,000 residents who have had their licenses recalled could have them taken by police if pulled over.
The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) says those with recalled IDs can avoid having them taken by presenting needed information — proof of age and identity, Social Security number and Maryland residency — to an agency branch, per the Post.
The people with required paperwork received their licenses starting in 2016 when the MVA
started issuing Real ID-compliant licenses and identification cards.
In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security notified Maryland that all drivers needed to have scanned copies of proof of identity and residence on file at the MVA.
Another 780,000 Maryland drivers with the state-issued Real ID licenses don't have the necessary info on file, the MVA told the Post.
The 8,000 with recall orders were part of the first wave of residents meant to file their paperwork, a strategy to avoid overburdening the MVA.
The recalled IDs belong to residents that missed the deadline, which had already been extended once.
“These customers received more than six notices, and if they had previously provided a phone number they also received a personal phone call as the compliance deadline approached,” MVA spokesperson Adrienne Diaczok told the Post.
She added that the MVA is sending another electronic reminder to the group about their recall status,
urging them to visit a branch office as soon as possible to provide the required documents.