The Deadline For Real ID Has Been Extended Again: What To Know

The deadline for the implementation of REAL ID has been delayed once again, this time for two more years. This will give travelers more time to update their ID card to the enhanced REAL ID version in order to use it at airport security.

By May 2025, A REAL ID Will Be Required For Travel

The new requirements will mean travelers will have to provide an enhanced state-issued driver’s license, identification card, or a passport in order to pass through security. The new deadline will go into effect on May 7th, 2025, as the DHS has shared. It was meant to go into effect in 2023.

Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas shared in a statement: “DHS continues to work closely with U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to meet REAL ID requirements. “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. We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.”

The DHS shared that the decision to push back the deadline was done partly because of the “lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic,” and the pandemic related backlogs reported by state driver’s licensing agencies around the country.

The Deadline Has Been Pushed Back Once Again

According to the organization, 55 states and U.S. territories are “fully compliant with the REAL ID requirements.”

What To Look For