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The documents you need to get onto the Rock Island Arsenal

Ever since security within the Department of Defense and Department of the Army has tightened, for some residents, just a state ID or Driver’s License is ...
Temporary license, picture from Cyber Drive Illinois

Ever since security within the Department of Defense and Department of the Army has tightened, for some residents, just a state ID or Driver’s License is not enough.  So, if you’re from Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico or Washington, you’ll need extra documentation before gaining access to the Rock Island Arsenal.

Even if you’re from one of those states, having a license on you is a good idea but as was announced in December of 2015, one of the following documents was needed as well:

  • United States Passport or United States Passport Card
  • Social Security Card
  • U.S. Military or draft record (DD-214 or Selective Service Registration Card)
  • U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Cards
  • Transportation Worker Identification Card (TWIC)
  • Native American Tribal Document
  • Permanent Resident Card/Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-551)
  • Foreign passport with a temporary (I-551) stamp or temporary (I-551) printed notation on a machine readable immigrant visa
  • Employment authorization document that contains a photograph (Form I-766)

On Thursday, March 3, 2016 the Arsenal released a list of secondary ID forms to allow access. The following are also acceptable documents:

  • Vehicle registration with name and address.
  • State of Illinois Firearm Owners Identification (FOID) card
  • Veterans Health Identification Card issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
  • PIV Card (Personal Identification Verification) issued by the federal government
  • PIV-1 Card (Personal Identification Verification – Interoperable) issued by the federal government
  • DHS “Trusted Traveler” cards (Global Entry, Nexus, SENTRI, FAST)
  • Driver’s license issued by the U.S. Department of State
  • U.S. military identification card for military members, dependents and retirees;
  • U.S. Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-550)

Because Illinois doesn’t meet federal security requirements with its screening process for licenses, they haven’t been accepted since January 18, according to a statement from the Arsenal.

If you do not have any of the approved documents, a person “may still still enter Rock Island Arsenal, but only under escort of authorized personnel,” said the statement.

For people getting on flights, their IDs will continue to work. The Department of Homeland Security extended the compliancy deadline to January 22, 2018.

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