After two decades of continuous delays and pauses, federal Real ID requirements for domestic flights are finally set to begin in exactly one week: Wednesday, May 7, 2025. But whether travelers without a compliant license will actually be turned away at airports next week remains to be seen.
Passed nearly 20 years ago in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is finally ready to begin enforcing the long-awaited Real ID law. With the latest deadline rapidly approaching over the last month, federal officials have repeatedly stressed this time is different: Real ID is happening … kind of.
While the TSA has said that it will stop accepting non-compliant licenses as of May 7, the agency has also said that travelers without a Real ID “can expect to face delays, additional enhanced and more thorough screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.” And travelers anxious about disruptions have been struggling to get a new ID in their wallets.
The Wall Street Journal has reported DMVs around the country are overrun with travelers scrambling to get a Real ID, leading to long lines and processing delays. So rather than getting a brand-new driver's license, travelers can also use several Real ID alternatives at airports, including a passport or passport card, Global Entry identification card, or so-called “enhanced driver's licenses” available from select states.
Fearing outrage from mass travel disruptions, current and former presidential administrations have repeatedly punted Real ID over the last decade. This time will be different.
While enforcement of the stricter ID requirements are set to begin soon, a federal rule adopted earlier this year pushes “full enforcement” of Real ID out to May 7, 2027. So, rather than turning away any and all travelers without a federally approved ID, the TSA can use a “phased enforcement approach” for the next two years.
This not-so-new ID law was passed way back in 2005 in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks to combat terrorism and identity fraud. Real IDs come with some additional hoops to jump through when applying for or renewing a driver's license – they're marked with a gold star showing they're federally approved.
But it's become a laughingstock of a law after delays, delays, and more delays – first due to states' refusal to comply with the federal government, then due to the pandemic and alarm that not enough Americans had opted in to avoid massive disruptions. Some early Real ID adopters have renewed their licenses once (if not twice) before the law will actually take effect.
