You’ll have a little longer before you have to worry about having a Real ID to board a domestic flight or enter a federal building.
The federal Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline yet again, until May 7, 2025. The deadline had been set for this upcoming May.
In a news release, Homeland Security said the delay was necessary because of the covid-19 pandemic. A backlog at state driver’s license agencies has slowed the progress in issuing Real IDs.
DHS is extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline until May 7, 2025.
Air travelers 18+ will need a REAL ID-compliant license, or another acceptable form of identification, to pass through @TSA security when flying within the U.S. in May 2025 ➡️ https://t.co/KKoi6FEpI8 pic.twitter.com/S5Ss3e08c4
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) December 5, 2022
The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 following a 9/11 Commission recommendation, establishes basic and consistent protocol for all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.
The pandemic has already delayed the Real ID deadline previously. Prior to the May 2023 deadline, it had been set to take effect in October 2021.
A Real ID will not be required for most other things that require a driver license or identification card.
In Pennsylvania, residents can obtain either a Real ID driver’s license/ID card, or a standard driver’s license/ID card.
For more information about Real ID in Pennsylvania, visit PennDOT’s Real ID page.
