Just five months before the Real ID deadline was supposed to go into effect, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has again pushed the date by which travelers will need a new federally compliant identification card for domestic flights.
The new deadline to have a Real ID is May 7, 2025. The previous deadline was May 3, 2023.
The agency had already extended its enforcement date at least three times since the identification change was initially announced for October 2020.
The 24-month extension will address “the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to obtain a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card” after that process was “significantly hindered” by processing backlogs from the pandemic, according to a statement from the Department of Homeland Security. Many states’ agencies extended expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards due to the pandemic or shifted to appointment-only availability, the department said, which affected operations.
Just over half of all Americans with a license or identification card have obtained one that is Real ID-compliant, according to a federal review of state-provided data.
In California, the number of people with Real IDs has grown by more than 5 million from almost two years ago and was at 14.8 million Monday, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles. It wasn’t immediately clear what percentage of California identification cards are Real IDs.
Real ID-compliant licenses are marked by a star on the top of the card. In California, upgraded cards also have a gold bear in the upper right corner.
“This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in a statement Monday. “DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible.”
Under the latest update, every traveler age 18 or older will need a Real ID — or another form of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration, such as a passport — to get through airport security checkpoints for domestic travel beginning May 7, 2025.
Leaders in the $1.1-trillion travel industry have voiced concern over the past few years of losses if Americans are unable to board planes because they lack Real ID licenses. The U.S. Travel Assn. on Monday praised the Department of Homeland Security for its latest delay of enforcement, calling it the “right decision.”
“U.S. Travel appreciates DHS leadership for recognizing that with 100 million Americans still lacking a Real ID, now is not the time to create significant travel disruptions,” Tori Emerson Barnes, the trade group’s executive vice president of public affairs and policy, said in a statement. “This delay helps to give travelers the time necessary to get the credential needed to fly domestically.”
In May, 137 million Real IDs had been issued across the U.S., making up about 49% of identification cards in circulation, according to the travel association. Compliance was increasing by about half a percent per month, the association said. More recent numbers weren’t immediately available.
The new license standards, which comply with federal regulations enacted after recommendations from the 9/11 Commission, have been almost 17 years in the making.
Real ID is not required for drivers, and air passengers still need a passport to travel internationally.
In California, a Real ID costs $39, the same price as a driver’s license that is not federally compliant.