REAL ID Deadline Extended Again: Here's Why, and How Much Time You've Got Now

The looming REAL ID deadline already delayed twice is getting another major pushback, giving Americans an additional 24 months to become compliant, the Department of Homeland Security announced Monday.

A new date for the requirement for air travelers to have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification will be set for May 7, 2025, officials said. Originally slated for enforcement back in 2008, the deadline has been delayed several times.

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Delays stemming from the pandemic initially prompted the DHS to postpone the enforcement date back one year to Oct. 1, 2021, before moving that deadline once again to May 2, 2023. The pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.

The looming Real ID deadline already delayed twice is getting another major pushback, giving Americans an additional 24 months to become complaint.

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“This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards, following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission. The purpose of the law was to standardize the way states issue driver’s licenses and federal IDs.

REAL ID compliant cards are issued after a more thorough verification of an applicant's identification and incorporates new security features that make them harder to counterfeit.

The Department of Homeland Security announced that all U.S. travelers must have a REAL ID to board domestic flights starting May 7, 2025. Here’s what you need to know.

Under the new law, travelers 18 years or older must present a REAL ID or other product, such as a passport, to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a “super secured” federal facility.

However, older IDs are still acceptable for driving, voting, buying liquor or other age-regulated products, and gambling at casinos. Travelers also can use military IDs or passports to access flights and federal facilities.

Several states are already REAL ID compliant, including Connecticut, Delaware, Florida and the District of Columbia.