75 Days Until the REAL ID is Required For Air Travel
WASHINGTON DC
February 23rd, 2025
Starting in 75 days, travelers will need a REAL ID to get through airport security without a passport.
That means having a gold star on your driver’s license.
Federal identification requirements passed by Congress 20 years ago will finally be enforced starting May 7 for people boarding a commercial flight within the United States or entering secure federal buildings and military installations.
Anyone needing the identification for those reasons should not procrastinate, said Mike Fitts, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
“We would definitely advise, especially if you have plans to take a domestic flight, not to wait,” he said.
Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to standardize ID verification in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Some states initially refused to comply. But, after years of meetings, revisions and education, all U.S. states are now in compliance.
The federal government has postponed the enforcement date multiple times, for reasons including the COVID-19 pandemic.
But May 7 is supposed to be the day when security will really start checking for a REAL ID.
REAL IDs expire after eight years.
The ID that meets federal identification requirements remains an option, not a mandate.
People without a valid U.S. passport or military ID will need it by May 7 if they want to fly, get onto a military base or enter a secured federal building.
But it won’t be needed to drive, vote, access benefits such as Social Security, or enter non-secured federal buildings such as a post office.
For anyone unsure whether their license is a REAL ID, check the top right corner.
A REAL ID has the gold star, while noncompliant state driver’s licenses issued since 2017 will have a message that reads “Not for Federal Identification.”
How much and what do I need?
A REAL ID modernization law passed by Congress in December 2020 as part of a pandemic aid package made the documentation process easier. It’s no longer necessary to provide an actual Social Security card as proof. Instead, the number will be electronically verified at the DMV with the Social Security Administration.
The following is what’s still needed, with examples:
Proof of identity and citizenship, such as a government-issued birth certificate or unexpired U.S. passport
Two proofs of address, such as a driver’s license and a utility bill showing the same name and address
Proof of all legal name changes (if applicable), such as a marriage license, divorce papers, or court order. If an unexpired passport contains the current legal name, that can be shown instead.
Copyright 2025 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
