After 17 years of delays, the Department of Homeland Security is set to finally require REAL IDs for Americans boarding domestic flights.
Starting on Wednesday, May 7, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights (and access military bases and certain federal facilities), according to DHS.
In other words, a standard driver's license or state ID without the REAL ID logo, typically on the top right of the license, will no longer be acceptable identification for Americans flying domestically.
Can I board a domestic flight without a REAL ID?
That remains to be seen. DHS and the Transportation Safety Administration, an agency of DHS, have suggested they may let some people without REAL IDs onto planes — after a significant wait.
A recent press release from DHS says "travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant state-issued credential or another acceptable form of ID can expect delays when they arrive at the TSA security checkpoint. The length of the delay will be determined by the number of other travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant credential, or another form of identification accepted by TSA for identity verification."
What other forms of ID will get me on a domestic flight?
If you can't get a REAL ID before May 7, bring any other acceptable identification for flying domestically, such as an active passport, passport card, or permanent resident card. The full list of the TSA's acceptable identification is here.
How do I get a REAL ID?
Every state has different rules on how you turn their state ID or driver's license a federally-compliant REAL ID. California, for example, asks travelers to fill out an online application, upload necessary documents (like passports and birth certificates for personal identification and utility bills to prove California residency), provide a social security number, then go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office — with the hard copies of the documents you uploaded — before the REAL ID is issued.
And yes, it's often kind of a pain.
What is the purpose of REAL IDs?
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 as a recommendation of the 9/11 commission; the legislation was one of many security responses enacted after the terrorist attacks of 2001. The REAL ID Act established tighter security standards for state-issued identification, and prohibited the TSA from accepting ID that did not meet those standards.
"REAL ID is intended to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards while inhibiting the ability of terrorists and others to evade detection by using fraudulent identification," according to the TSA.
The first deadline for REAL ID compliance from travelers was originally 2008, but extensions were repeatedly announced. Finally, May 2025 appears to be REAL ID's actual arrival on the airport scene.
