Department of Homeland Security Extends REAL ID Deadline for Air Travelers

Here's what you need to know for travel in 2023.

The Department of Homeland Security has announced yet another extension in regards to the Real ID driver's license or identification card requirement.

According to a Dec. 5 announcement, Americans will have two more years to obtain the updated cards, per The Washington Post.

United States air travelers will be required to present the Real ID credential in order to board any domestic flight beginning May 7, 2025—an implementation that had previously been scheduled to take effect in May of next year, after several delays.

In announcing the new deadline, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that the 24-month extension will give states more time as they move forward during the pandemic.

“DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible,” he stated. “We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.”

Postponement of the last phase of the Real ID Act will reportedly give motor vehicle departments nationwide additional time to process the new credentials, however this setback comes 17 years after the changes were initially supposed to be set in place.

Congress passed the Real ID Act after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Eighteen of the 19 hijackers had reportedly obtained state IDs, some fraudulently.

Under the law, states are required to increase the security of licenses by requiring applicants to provide proof of identity and legal U.S. residency. States must also use counterfeit-resistant security features on the IDs.

"The law, which set minimum security standards for driver’s licenses and ID cards issued by states after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, originally was to take effect in 2008. About half of Americans with a license or state identification card have a Real ID-compliant document, generally identifiable by a star in the upper-right corner," according to the outlet.

DHS has delayed the implementation numerous times, most recently postponing an Oct. 1, 2021, deadline to May 3, 2023.

In addition to the Real ID-compliant license, other acceptable forms of identification include a U.S. passport, a passport card, a military ID, a permanent resident card, or other options such as a Global Entry traveler card.

For more detailed information, check out the official Department of Homeland Security website.