Real ID deadline for flying is 6 months away
After years of delays, the deadline to get a Real ID-compliant driver’s license is just six months away. Starting May 7, 2025, Americans will no longer be able to use a standard driver’s license to fly commercially or enter a U.S. military base or federal building.
Officials from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana gathered Friday at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to talk about how the rollout has been going, and what documentation people in their respective states need to get a Real ID.
“Real ID-compliant cards are generally identified by a star on the front of the card,” says Ray Williams, TSA Federal Security Director for Kentucky. “When Real ID goes into effect, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, state issued enhanced driver’s licenses or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.”
Courtesy/ U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Real ID-compliant cards will have of one of the following markings on the upper portion of the card.
The most common alternative ID is a passport. The TSA website lists other acceptable forms of identification.
“The bottom line,” Williams says, “is that travelers should have a Real ID or other accepted form of ID by the deadline to avoid significant delays at security checkpoints.
“The time to get it is now.”
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in the wake of a report from the 9/11 Commission. That group determined it was too easy for people to obtain driver’s licenses, posing a security risk. The initial deadline for all 50 states to become Real ID-compliant was extended numerous times, the last because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Real ID-compliant cards will have a star somewhere on the top portion of the card.
Indiana Adoption Rate
Across the three states, Real ID adoption is highest in Indiana, which was also the first regionally to begin issuing the compliant IDs.
“[Indiana] started issuing Real ID in 2010,” says Melissa Hook, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles Communications and Media Relations Director
“We are currently at 77.2% of compliance, and by the May 7 deadline, we expect to reach 80%,” Hook says. “We’d like to have it higher, but that’s a reasonable goal in our estimation, for obtaining a Real ID in Indiana.”
Requirements
In order to obtain a Real ID-compliant ID, you will need, at minimum, documentation showing:
- Full Legal Name
- Date of Birth
- Social Security Number
- Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence
- Lawful Status
Documents need to be originals, not copies.
