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Real ID second thoughts: Can you switch back to a standard Arizona license?

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Real ID second thoughts: Can you switch back to a standard Arizona license?


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As the May 7 Real ID deadline looms closer, maybe you’ve gotten your Real ID and are having second thoughts.

Maybe you have security and privacy concerns about the ID − concerns that explain why the American Civil Liberties Union is opposed to Real ID enforcement.

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Is it possible to switch back to a regular driver’s license if you have second thoughts about a Real ID?

It depends on the state.

In Arizona, where motorists have the option of selecting a standard license that is not federally compliant or selecting the Real ID-compliant Arizona Travel ID, those who have the Travel ID can switch back.

Still, demand for the Arizona Travel ID is high as people prepare for the rollout of the new rules for passing airport security and boarding airplanes. About 85% of Arizonans applying for drivers licenses are choosing the Travel ID instead of the standard license, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

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I have Real ID but I have second thoughts. Can I switch back?

Yes, you can switch back from Real ID to an ordinary Arizona driver’s license, ADOT spokesman Bill Lamoreaux said.

“The Arizona Travel ID (Real ID) is an option for those that fly domestically or need to access secure federal buildings such as the federal courts or military bases,” he said.

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“The standard Arizona driver’s license or ID cards are still acceptable forms of identification for other purposes. Someone wishing to downgrade from the Arizona Travel ID to a standard credential would pay the age-appropriate fee” to obtain the ID, Lamoreaux said.

Those fees are as follows, according to ADOT:

  • Age 50 and older: $10.
  • Ages 45-49: $15.
  • Ages 40-44: $20.
  • Age 39 and younger: $25.

Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@gannett.com.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.



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Arizona

Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones hits for cycle in Double-A – Arizona Sports

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Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones hits for cycle in Double-A – Arizona Sports


Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Druw Jones needed a home run to complete the cycle when he dug into the batter’s box in the eighth inning of a Double-A game on Wednesday night.

Jones, playing for Double-A Amarillo, stayed behind the baseball and drove an inside pitch to right-center field for his first home run of the season, earning the first cycle in Sod Poodles history.

The 22-year-old knocked out the toughest leg first with a triple to right field in the third inning against the Midland Rockhounds (Athletics). Jones zoomed from home to third base in 11 seconds, Corbin Carroll-esque speed, for his first triple of the season.

Jones singled in the fifth on a ground ball that skipped under shortstop Joshua Kuroda-Grauer’s glove on what would have been a tight play at first base, and in the sixth, he doubled to right field.

His home run came off right-handed pitcher Mitch Myers to give Amarillo a 9-2 lead in a 10-2 win — infield prospect Cristofer Torin went back-to-back with Jones.

The last Diamondbacks major leaguer to hit for the cycle was Aaron Hill, who did so twice within 11 days of each other in 2012. The most recent cycle in Major League Baseball came from Minnesota’s Byron Buxton on July 12.

Jones is the No. 16 prospect in Arizona’s system as ranked by MLB Pipeline and No. 17 by Baseball America.

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Known for his defense, the outfielder has gotten off to a slow start statistically with a .229/.345/.343 slash line in his first 19 games playing Double-A baseball. He hit .286 in Cactus League this past spring and performed well in the World Baseball Classic for Team Netherlands.






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Chandler, RWCD ruling: Could residents save on property taxes? – KTAR.com

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Chandler, RWCD ruling: Could residents save on property taxes? – KTAR.com


PHOENIX — Chandler residents may be one step closer to ending about $1.7 million a year in property taxes paid to the Roosevelt Water Conservation District after the Arizona Supreme Court upheld the city’s water agreement.

The court ruled that Chandler’s water agreement with the Roosevelt Water Conservation District remains enforceable through 2086, ending a yearslong dispute over water deliveries and taxes paid by thousands of property owners.

“Nearly 27,000 Chandler households have paid Roosevelt Water Conservation District property taxes for years without water benefits. That ends with this ruling,” Chandler Mayor Kevin Hartke said in a Wednesday announcement.

Why were Chandler and RWCD in court over a water agreement?

City officials said the dispute began when the district, known as RWCD, stopped honoring its agreement to provide water to Chandler. The most recent version of that deal was signed in 2002.

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Last year, Hartke told KTAR News 92.3 FM that RWCD would sometimes let water go to waste rather than sell it to the city.

RWCD was formed more than a century ago to irrigate about 40,000 acres of farmland in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa and southeastern Maricopa County. As those lands urbanized, Chandler continued purchasing water through the district’s water rights.

The court rejected RWCD’s argument that Chandler waited too long to sue.

“Water is a critical public resource, and this ruling restores a key component of Chandler’s 100-year assured water supply,” Hartke said.

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Gas, airline prices remain high in Arizona as Iran War reaches 2-month mark

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Gas, airline prices remain high in Arizona as Iran War reaches 2-month mark


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Two months since the war in Iran began, the conflict shows no clear ending in sight.

President Donald Trump posted on social media that Iran is in a “state of collapse” but offered no additional context for what that means. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

The ripple effects of the war are felt around the world, with changes in gas and fuel prices impacting consumers.

Gas prices climb

In the days before the war began, the average price for a gallon of gas in Arizona was $3.59. On Tuesday, April 28, the average is $4.63. That price is even higher in Maricopa County, sitting at $4.76.

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“My husband has a diesel truck, and that’s just outrageous right now. I put premium in my car, so it’s very expensive, too,” said Kathie Nunn, who lives in Phoenix.

Airline costs soar

It’s not just drivers feeling the pinch. Flyers are too.

“I would say roughly 15 or 20 percent more is what I’ve noticed that I have to pay more,” one traveler said.

The week before the war started, the price of jet fuel was $2.50 a gallon. On Tuesday, April 28, the price is $4.26, according to Airlines for America.

“I fly Southwest mostly. I was able to get a straight flight home and two from here. It was higher than normal, for sure,” said Patrick Foy, who was flying from Phoenix to Louisiana.

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Major airliners have already raised checked baggage fees because of the rising fuel prices, while some of the smaller, budget airlines are asking the federal government for billions of dollars in assistance.

“It’s obviously frustrating. It affects our family’s budget,” Foy said.

Gas experts have said even when the war in Iran ends, the full relief people see at the pump or when buying a plane ticket will most likely not be immediate.

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