Major REAL ID Announcement Made Just Before Deadline

Wednesday marks the official REAL ID deadline after which the new identification card will be required to fly domestically. However, that doesn’t mean you should cancel your travel plans if you don’t yet have a REAL ID.

The new REAL ID has been in the works since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Officially announced back in 2005 with the REAL ID Act, the new ID card meets stricter requirements and can be recognized by a gold star located in the upper right corner of the identification card.

Though Wednesday, May 7 is the date on which the TSA will begin requiring all passengers to have a REAL ID in order to pass the security checkpoint and board a domestic flight, passengers without a REAL ID will still be permitted to fly – but they should expect the security process to take a bit longer.

Homeland Security Chief Kristi Noem told a Congressional panel on Tuesday that anyone lacking identification that does not comply with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step.” However, they will still be permitted to fly.

“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said according to the Associated Press. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”

After being signed into law in 2005, the REAL ID was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but the implementation has been repeatedly delayed over nearly two decades. The May 7, 2025 deadline is expected to be the final deadline, but it sounds like the TSA and Homeland Security will make accommodations for passengers without one, at least for now.

In addition to a new REAL ID driver's license or state ID card, passengers can use a number of other alternative identification methods including a passport or a tribal identification card.

Noem Congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements.

In addition to domestic flights, the REAL ID will be required to enter certain federal buildings and facilities.