Questions we hear all the time.
Answered honestly.

We are a document research and ordering service. We locate every record you need for Real ID - birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce decrees, court-ordered name changes, military records - then submit the orders on your behalf to the appropriate agencies.

We handle the calls, the forms, the follow-ups, and the agency fees. Once everything is located and all fees are settled, we place the orders and each certified document is sent directly from the issuing agency to you. We never see, hold, or possess your documents at any point. You also receive a complete case file with unofficial record copies, receipts, and instructions for any steps you need to complete yourself.

No. RealIDPrep is a private, independent service. We are not affiliated with any government agency, the DMV, or any official Real ID program. We are experienced researchers who know how to navigate government record systems on your behalf.

We work with agencies as authorized third-party requesters using your signed service agreement - which is standard practice for document research services, attorneys, and researchers. Where an agency requires the request to come directly from you, we prepare everything and hand it to you ready to submit.

The retainer is a research and ordering fee - it covers two hours of dedicated researcher time. That includes identifying the right agencies, making contact, submitting requests on your behalf, and following up. Many standard cases are fully completed within this window.

It does not include the government's own fees to issue certified copies (like a state's birth certificate fee). Those are separate and passed through to you at exact cost with no markup. Once all fees - retainer, any overage time, and agency fees - are settled, orders are placed and your documents ship directly from each agency to you.

We stop and contact you. We explain exactly what has been done, what remains, and how much additional time we estimate it will take. Overage rates are $50/hr for Standard, $75/hr for Complex, and $150/hr for Express. You decide whether to continue. We never bill additional time without your explicit approval - no exceptions.

For document filings, we also allocate a minimum of 15 minutes per document to complete and submit each request. Any overage time owed is invoiced before orders are placed.

Express is a $225 retainer that moves your case to the front of our work queue immediately. We finish whatever case we are currently working on, then start yours - regardless of how many other clients are ahead of you. If multiple Express clients come in at the same time, we work them in the order we receive completed intake information.

It is worth it if you have a deadline - a flight, a job start date, a DMV appointment already scheduled - and cannot afford to wait in the standard queue. The service itself is identical; you are paying for priority researcher time, not a different level of work.

Important: Express prioritizes our work, not the government's. Agency processing times vary and we cannot speed up what happens on their end. Most agencies offer their own expedited options - we will point those out where they exist.

No - never. We do not ask for, store, or handle your Social Security Number at any point. If a specific agency requires SSN verification to release a record, we will flag that for you and provide instructions so you can submit that portion yourself directly to the agency.

We only ask for the information necessary to locate and request public vital records on your behalf. This typically includes your full legal name history, dates of birth, marriage, or divorce, and the states or counties where those events occurred.

We never ask for medical records, financial account information, or any sensitive personal identifiers beyond what is needed to identify the correct public records. And because certified documents are sent directly from agencies to you - not to us - your physical documents never pass through our hands at any point.

No - never. This is by design. Once we submit a document order, the issuing agency mails the certified record directly to your address. We are not in the delivery chain. We never receive, forward, scan, or store your official documents.

What we do send you is your case file - unofficial record copies (for your reference), agency fee receipts, order confirmations, and step-by-step instructions for any documents that required you to self-submit. The certified originals go straight from the government to your door.

Cases are worked in the order we receive completed, workable information. Once your intake form is submitted, your service agreement is signed, and your retainer is paid, you enter the queue. Research begins within 1–2 business days of your spot coming up.

If we have questions during the process and you respond quickly, your case keeps moving. If there are delays on your end, your place in line adjusts accordingly - so staying responsive matters.

After research begins, the timeline depends on the agencies involved. Some respond in 48 hours. Others take 4–6 weeks. We follow up regularly and update you at least once a week. We never go quiet. If you need to move faster, ask about our Express service.

Some agencies only release records directly to the subject - and honestly, that is fine. It is actually consistent with our model: documents go straight to you either way.

In those cases, we do all the research, complete the request forms, calculate the exact fees, and hand you a ready-to-submit package with clear step-by-step instructions. You sign it, send it, and the record arrives at your door from the agency directly. You get all of our expertise; the final submission is just yours to make.

Here is the exact sequence: you pay the retainer upfront to start research. Once research is complete, we send you an invoice that covers any additional time beyond the retainer and all agency document fees. When that invoice is paid, we place the orders. Each agency then mails your certified document directly to you.

Nothing gets ordered until all fees are settled. And nothing gets billed beyond the original retainer without your explicit approval first.

We research and order certified birth certificates, marriage licenses and certificates, divorce decrees, court-ordered name changes, military service records (DD-214), and various court orders from jurisdictions across all 50 states. Complex cases may also involve overseas or international records.

For publicly available records, we may also obtain unofficial copies and include them in your case file. All certified originals are ordered through the issuing agency and sent directly to you - we never handle them.

Yes - and this is something we specialize in. For Real ID compliance, your name-change history needs to form an unbroken chain from your birth name to your current legal name. Every marriage and divorce creates a new link in that chain, and every link needs supporting documentation.

We map your full name history, identify every document needed to connect each link, and submit the orders from whatever county and state they live in. Each certified record ships directly from that agency to you.

It happens - courthouse fires, clerical errors, and very old records can result in true gaps. When we have exhausted all options, we provide you with the official "No Record Found" documentation from the relevant agency.

We then walk you through your state DMV's alternative identity verification process. Most states have accepted procedures for exactly this situation, and we help you navigate that path. We never leave you without options.

Potentially, yes - but overseas and international cases are complex and require a detailed consultation to assess. These cases fall under our Complex Case tier ($125 retainer). We will be upfront during your free consult about what is feasible, what it will cost, and what the realistic timeline looks like before you commit to anything.