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4d ago

REAL ID Deadline Nears With States Rushing to Meet Demand

As the May 7, 2025 enforcement date looms, DMVs nationwide extend hours and launch emergency programs to process last-minute applications.

Image
In an aerial view, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, billed as the world's largest cruise ship, heads out to sea for its second voyage from PortMiami on February 03, 2024, in Miami, Florida.
Sign at the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office in Plesanton, California, August 28, 2018.
FILE: People approach the California Department of Motor Vehicles office in the Arleta neighborhood of Los Angeles on April 9, 2019. 

Overview

  • Starting May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers aged 18 and older must present a REAL ID or an approved alternative to board domestic flights and access federal facilities.
  • State DMVs, including those in California, Ohio, and New Jersey, are extending hours, adding weekend services, and introducing emergency issuance programs to address the surge in applications.
  • Only 60% of U.S. licenses and IDs are currently REAL ID-compliant, with California reporting just 55% compliance, prompting officials to urge passport holders to use their passports for travel if necessary.
  • Travelers without a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative, such as a passport or trusted traveler card, may face delays, additional screening, or denial at TSA checkpoints.
  • The REAL ID Act, passed in 2005 following 9/11, aims to enhance security by setting federal standards for state-issued IDs, but its implementation has faced two decades of delays.