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After years of postponed deadlines, passengers will have to show security-enhanced IDs to board domestic flights starting on Wednesday. What to know if you’re traveling.
Published April 9, 2025Updated May 6, 2025, 5:43 p.m. ET
For years, the U.S. government has been warning travelers that they will soon need to show a Real ID at airport security, only to keep pushing back the deadline. But on May 7, Real ID is set to become reality.
Starting then, a standard driver’s license or state ID will no longer pass muster at airport security checkpoints, the Department of Homeland Security says. Passengers will instead need to present a security-enhanced, star-emblazoned Real ID or another approved form of identification like a passport.
The change, nearly 20 years in the making, is meant to enhance security by setting a more consistent standard for state-issued documentation, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Here’s what you need to know as the Real ID deadline nears.
What is a Real ID?
A Real ID is a federally compliant state-issued driver’s license, learner’s permit or nondriver ID. Real IDs are marked with a star — generally gold or black — and vary in appearance by state or territory.
Any resident of a U.S. state or territory who wishes to use a driver’s license or nondriver ID at a T.S.A. checkpoint must make sure that it is Real ID-compliant. Driver’s licenses that do not have the star are not Real IDs. Some noncompliant IDs will also have the words “Federal limits apply.”
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