The final countdown is on. We’re officially one week away from the Real ID deadline for air travel. Beginning May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.
What is Real ID?
The Real ID act was passed by Congress way back in 2005 and was originally supposed to go into effect in 2008 (I was in my freshman year of high school so it’s been a while). Since then’ we’ve seen delay after delay but the time has finally come for the act to go into effect.
The act established requirements that drivers licenses and identification cards issued by U.S. states and territories must satisfy in order to be accepted as valid identification for access to federal government facilities, nuclear power plants, and the secure area of airports United States.
The requirements include verification of the personal information presented when applying for the identification document, security features on the ID, and electronic sharing of databases between states.
All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the five U.S. territories covered under the Real ID act have been issuing Real ID compliant drivers licenses for a while now, though some have been doing it longer than others. However, there are still a good number of travelers flying without Real ID compliant identification (Real ID drivers license or a Passport).
What You Need to Travel
Beginning May 7, 2025, all U.S. travelers will need Real ID compliant IDs to board domestic flights. The easiest way to tell if you have a Real ID compliant license is to look for the gold star in the upper right-hand corner. If you have that then you are good to go! That is assuming that it hasn’t expired yet given how many times enforcement has been pushed back.
If you don’t have a Real ID compliant drivers license or identification card, a passport can be used to meet the requirement instead. If you don’t have a passport or Real ID compliant drivers license or identification card, the TSA has created a list of other forms of acceptable identification. If you’re unclear whether you’re Real ID ready, the Department of Homeland Security has put together a quick decision tree to help you out.
Travelers who aren’t Real ID compliant by May 7, 2025 may face additional screening and may not be allowed through security checkpoints. This also applies to members of the TSA PreCheck program.
Summary
The countdown is on for the implementation of Real ID requirements at airports and other government buildings. Beginning May 7, 2025 travelers who aren’t Real ID compliant may not be allowed to pass through security checkpoints at airports across the country. If you’re traveling soon and don’t have a Real ID, schedule an appointment with your local DMV as soon as possible. Happy flying!