Starting May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration will require REAL ID-compliant identification for passengers to board commercial aircraft. This means travelers will need to present a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that meets the standards established by the REAL ID Act of 2005.
The agency has delayed enforcement of the act several times over the years, citing the low rollout of REAL IDs nationwide. According to the Department of Homeland Security, as of January 2024, just over half (56 percent) of driver’s license and state IDs were compliant.
However, since REAL ID-compliant documents are issued by all 50 states, as well as Washington, DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands, there’s a good chance that travelers already have a REAL ID in their possession.
A driver’s license or state-issued ID with a black or gold star indicated a REAL ID-compliant identification. It means the holder has presented documentation to the issuing authority that shows full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of address for principal residence, and lawful status.
In its latest rulemaking, TSA has granted other federal agencies the flexibility to adopt a “phased approach” to REAL ID enforcement. The phase-in period would extend for another two years, to May 7, 2027, but does not delay enforcement at the airport. The agency said the rule enables other agencies “to begin enforcement without immediately denying access to individuals with noncompliant identification on the card-based enforcement deadline.”
Although obtaining a REAL ID is a relatively simple process, TSA said a phased approach instead of full enforcement could help prevent an overwhelming surge of applications at local DMVs for REAL IDs. However, it said delaying the deadline again may reduce the “urgency to obtain a REAL ID.”
There are other acceptable forms of identification for travel, including valid passports, DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST, and military IDs.
“Identity verification is foundational to security,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “I urge those who use a driver’s license or state-issued identity card as their primary form of identification to access federal facilities or board commercial passenger aircraft, to ensure these credentials are REAL ID-compliant.”
Image: Courtesy of DHS
