The oft-postponed REAL ID deadline is almost here—only 17 years or so behind schedule.
Passed by Congress in response to the September 11 attacks of 2001 and signed into law in 2005 by President George W. Bush, the measure requiring state-issued IDs to have federally mandated security features in order to be used for commercial air travel was originally supposed to be enacted in 2008.
After approximately one bazillion delays, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security now says that the REAL ID Act will be enforced at last at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at U.S. airports starting Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
Do you have questions about the requirement? Let’s try to answer them!
What will I need REAL ID for?
As of the enforcement date, the state ID you use to board a commercial aircraft in the United States must be REAL ID compliant, or you must use an alternative form of identification accepted by the TSA, such as a passport or passport card.
REAL ID will also be required for accessing “certain federal facilities” (like a military base or a federal courthouse) and “entering nuclear power plants,” according to the Department of Homeland Security.
What will I not need REAL ID for?
You won’t need a REAL ID compliant driver’s license to drive; you can still use your regular state-issued card for that if you want.
Additionally, per the government’s FAQ page, “The Act does not require individuals to present [REAL ID] identification where it is not currently required to access a federal facility (such as to enter the public areas of the Smithsonian) nor does it prohibit an agency from accepting other forms of identity documents (such as a U.S. passport or passport card).”
According to Axios, you don’t need a REAL ID to “vote or open a bank account,” either.
Note also that kids ages 18 and younger are exempt from showing ID at TSA checkpoints.
And maybe this should go without saying, but you’ll still need a passport or passport card for any international border crossings, including for driving across the U.S. land borders with Canada and Mexico. (Passport cards work for land and sea crossings only.) REAL ID is for domestic air travel.
How do I know if my ID is a REAL ID?
Does your state ID have a star in the upper right corner? If so, it’s a REAL ID. Congrats.
Don’t worry if the design on your card issued by, say, Delaware differs slightly from that of your friend’s REAL ID issued by Idaho. Some states tweak the design. California’s star, for instance, appears to be branded on a bear’s backside.
I don’t have a REAL ID. What documents do I need to change that?
“At a minimum,” according to the law, “you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status.”
But requirements may differ slightly by state, so you’ll want to visit your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID where you live.
To find your relevant website, go to dhs.gov/real-id, click your state or territory on the interactive map, and you’ll be taken to a page explaining everything you’ll need to make an appointment or order a REAL ID from your state.
Pay special attention to all the documentation requirements to make sure you bring everything to the DMV.
You’ll need to show proof of your Social Security Number. If you can’t locate your government-issued card, bring a pay stub showing your name and number or a W-2 or 1099 form.
Travelers who already have a U.S. passport or U.S. passport card are already ahead of the game, because for REAL ID, everyone needs to show evidence of citizenship or otherwise lawful presence in the U.S., and those two travel documents can both do that.
If you’re looking to acquire a permanent proof of citizenship, by the way, but don’t have international flights on the horizon, applying for a U.S. passport card might be a smart way to go. It’s cheaper than a full passport ($65 for a first-time passport card vs. $165 for a first passport) and meets the same federal security standards required of a REAL ID.
(And if your state tries to impose an ID requirement for voting at some point in the future, a federally issued $65 U.S. passport card verifies your citizenship, too.)
Without a passport, you might need to dig up your birth certificate or a certified copy of it to meet the requirements to obtain your REAL ID. Here are instructions for getting your hands on a certified copy of your birth certificate.
Is the deadline for REAL ID really for real this time? Like, for real?
The Department of Homeland Security insists enforcement begins May 7—and the agency has been sticking with that date since 2022.
What’s more, as Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said at a press conference last week, “The one thing that’s different this time around is that TSA just recently published a ‘final rule’ rejecting the option for another extension and requiring the regulation to finally take effect.”
However, Giannoulias also said “the TSA established what it calls a ‘phased enforcement approach’ that allows enforcement to take place over a 2-year period, culminating with a full enforcement no later than May 5, 2027, which is more than 2 years from now.”
Details of what a “phased enforcement approach” might involve haven’t been released by the TSA.
Not to mention that the U.S. federal government has been operating in chaotic fashion in recent weeks, as you might have noticed.
So who knows if this thing will ever actually happen.
To be on the safe side, though, it’s wise to proceed as though full enforcement of the REAL ID Act will start on May 7 and, if you’re flying domestically on or after that date, to arrive at the airport clutching your REAL ID, passport, or other TSA-approved form of identification.