It’s been five years since the federal government announced that it would require REAL IDs for travelers over 18. But in just a year from now, the regulation actually is likely to take effect.

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act was the result of a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses” before allowing people to board a commercial airplane. The Act establishes minimum security standards for driver’s licenses that are used as identification, and prohibits certain federal agencies—including the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—from accepting IDs that do not meet the Act’s standards.

Delayed three times over the past five years, the requirement likely actually will take effect on May 7, 2025. Beginning on that date, a driver’s license will only be acceptable ID at the airport if it has a REAL ID seal.

While many travelers will need to get a new, compliant driver’s license even to fly domestically, many other forms of ID are also acceptable, including:

• A US passport book or card
• An enhanced driver’s license, available in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington
• A DHS trusted traveler card (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• A US Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• A permanent resident card
• A border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized, Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
• An HSPD-12 PIV card
• A foreign government-issued passport
• A Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credentials
• A US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• A US Merchant Mariner Credential
• A Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Since driver’s licenses are issued by the states, each one has its own requirements for a REAL ID. But DHS requires as a minimum proof of your full legal name, date of birth, social security number, and two proofs of address of your principal residence.

Note that while these forms of ID will get you on a plane, they can’t be used to travel across any border, including Canada or Mexico, DHS points out.

For more details on REAL ID, go to REAL ID FAQs | Homeland Security (dhs.gov)

More than 15 years after it was enacted, the number of Americans with driver’s licenses or identification cards that are REAL ID-compliant remains low.

The enforcement deadline for the REAL ID Act is drawing near. Starting May 3, 2023, the Transportation Security Admission (TSA) will require travelers ages 18 years old and above to present either the new REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or valid compliant identification cards, to fly domestically. Yet, the number of Americans with Real ID-compliant identification is low. A passport is an acceptable form of identification and may be used in lieu of a REAL ID Drivers License or ID to board domestic flights and visit federal facilities.

The U.S. Congress passed into law the REAL ID Act in 2005, a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission asking the federal government to set standards in terms of the issuance of sources of identification. The Act sets “minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards as well as prohibits federal agencies from accepting licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards for official purposes, such as getting through the airport security checkpoint to board a plane.”

Soon after it was enacted, the TSA announced the REAL ID Act as the new identification system to travel domestically. Fast forward to 2020, after more than 15 years of repeated delays and extensions, the number of state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that are REAL ID-compliant was only 34%.

Survey data released in 2020 by the U.S. Travel Association showed a lack of awareness regarding the REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and cards among Americans, the majority of whom do not have one or are confused about how to get one. As a response, the DHS announced a new implementation date, which was October 21 of the same year. A month after, however, the deadline was pushed back again and was moved to May 3, 2023, due to “circumstances” created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agency also launched an awareness campaign in January of last year to encourage Americans to comply. Still, the number of REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards remains low, with 43% having compliant ID at the end of 2021.

The slow adoption seems to revolve around disparities in application procedures among the 50 states, which varies from one state to another.

To know more about the process, visit TSA’s official webpage at REAL ID | Transportation Security Administration