Real ID is coming — and it’s time to get serious about keeping your identification up to date.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Transportation published a final rule Tuesday in the Federal Register (the daily journal of the federal government) with a framework for federal agency phased enforcement of Real ID requirements.
This is the much-delayed rollout of new security standards that driver’s licenses and state identification cards have to meet in order to be used for federal purposes — including passing through airport security checkpoints — beginning in the spring of 2025. The new requirements will be in place soon, but there will still be wiggle room for ID verification until full enforcement takes effect in 2027.
Looming May 7 deadline for Real ID
The DHS said its latest deadline — May 7 — is locked in for officially implementing the Real ID requirement for domestic air travel.
However, in a statement published in the register, the government is allowing for some flexibility.
“Under this rule, agencies may implement the card-based enforcement provisions through a phased enforcement plan if they determine it is appropriate upon consideration of relevant factors including security, operational feasibility, and public impact,” the statement read. “The rule also requires agencies to coordinate their plans with DHS, make the plans publicly available, and achieve full enforcement by May 5, 2027.”
“To avoid airport checkpoint delays, all travelers over the age of 18 must have Real ID compliant identification by the May 7, 2025, deadline,” a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson told TPG.
Starting May 7, airport travelers will have to use a Real ID-compliant card to identify themselves at security; passengers without a compliant ID may face delays at identity verification. Although the phased implementation would still allow travelers to enter secure areas under certain conditions during the rollout, the deadline for the requirements is set, a DHS spokesperson told TPG. Still, the newly implemented rules provide some cushion before the full rollout.
“[T]his proposal would give federal agencies the flexibility to enforce Real ID,” a TSA spokesperson said; the spokesperson added that it would “prevent travelers (in particular) from being turned away.”
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Indeed, if you read the fine print signed by TSA Administrator David Pekoske, local authorities will have up to two years to fully implement the new requirements.
“This proposed rule recognizes these concerns and would provide flexibility by permitting agencies to, for a period of up to 2 years, implement REAL ID card-based enforcement using a phased approach tailored to their specific operations,” the statement read.
That means some states may be able to give people a little more time to get the correct documentation for entry to government offices and to pass through security at airports.
The new rule will also allow states to get a waiver from the TSA to use mobile driver’s licenses.
“At TSA, digital technology is an integral part of our identity verification framework and improves security efficiency while enhancing the passenger experience,” Pekoske said in a statement. “This rule demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience through secure and privacy-enhancing identity verification, facilitating innovation and honoring the intent of the REAL ID Act. We will continue to develop innovative, secure digital identity solutions with our state and industry partners.”
The TSA has published a map detailing where mobile driver’s licenses are currently approved for federal acceptance.
Are you Real ID-compliant?
The good news is that you may already be compliant. You can tell if your driver’s license or ID is Real ID-compliant by looking for the star in the upper right or left corner, as shown in the image below.
If you don’t see a star on your ID or it says something like “Not for federal identification” or “Not for federal purposes” in fine print, then it is not Real ID-approved.
You can use this tool to figure out if you are compliant. It will ask you a series of questions to determine if you are OK to travel with your ID. Remember that a U.S. passport qualifies as a Real ID in all cases.
If you need to get a new state-issued Real ID-approved license or identification card, it may be as simple as renewing your current ID. Just be sure to make it clear that you want the Real ID-approved version(s). Some states still issue standard licenses or IDs that don’t include Real ID provisions.
Note, too, that even if you have Clear or TSA PreCheck, you still need an ID that matches the new Real ID requirements.
When the Real ID Act is fully implemented, you will not be allowed through TSA checkpoints without a Real ID-compliant form of identification.
Here are alternatives to a state-issued Real ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- DHS Trusted Traveler card (Global Entry, Nexus, SENTRI and FAST)
- Permanent resident card
- U.S. Department of Defense ID
- Border-crossing card
- State-issued enhanced driver’s license
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- HSPD-12 personal identity verification card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment authorization card (I-766)
- U.S. merchant mariner credential
Bottom line
The federal government is sticking to a May 7 deadline for instituting new ID requirements for security at airports and other government facilities after years of delays. However, there will be some wiggle room in the new rules to give local authorities more time to fully comply with them.
You should check to see if your state-issued ID is Real ID-compliant now. If it’s not, it’s time to make a plan to fix it, as it sounds like the government is finally getting serious about implementing a law passed decades ago in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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