The U.S. Department of Homeland Security recently announced an extension of the date that full REAL ID full enforcement will begin for two years.
According to a DHS news release, the date that full REAL ID full enforcement will begin has been delayed from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025. Residents will now have more time to make sure that they have updated driver's licenses and identification cards that meet the security criteria required by the REAL ID Act.
“DHS continues to work closely with U.S. states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories to meet REAL ID requirements,” Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said in the release. “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 REAL ID act was created in 2005 and established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, the release reported. Under the act, starting May 7, 2025, every traveler 18 years of age or older will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s license or identification card at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.
An extension was necessary, in part, due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic causing delays for state driver’s licensing agencies, the release reported.
