SALT LAKE CITY — The final Real ID deadline is approaching on May 7, and while the country has been preparing for this change for nearly two decades, there are still plenty of Americans who don’t have a Real ID yet.
After the deadline, any American traveling by air over the age of 18 will be required to have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license to get through a security checkpoint.
Here is a guide to what you can do if you don’t have a Real ID yet.
Will you be able to travel without a Real ID?
If you don’t yet have a Real ID, or yours simply hasn’t arrived yet, TSA will be accepting other forms of identification at TSA checkpoints. Here is a list of the other accepted forms of ID, according to TSA’s website:
- State-issued enhanced driver’s license
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
If you do not have a Real ID or another acceptable form of identification at a security checkpoint, you should “expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” according to the TSA.
According to the Utah Department of Public Safety, the Real ID requirements do not change your right to drive — it only applies to federal travel and building access.
How to get a Real ID?
You can get a Real ID through your local Department of Motor Vehicles office. To receive a Real ID, you’ll need, at minimum, proof of your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, address and lawful status, according to the DHS.
The process may vary by state. For further instruction, visit your state’s DMV website to find detailed instructions.
Real IDs are only needed for travelers 18 years or older.
What is Real ID?
The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 to improve security standards for license issuance, will take effect on May 7, according to the TSA.
Two decades after its passage, the requirement is set to reshape domestic air travel.
The law was set to take effect in 2020, but due to “mountains of paperwork,” according to USA Today, the deadline was pushed back to May 2025. Talk of the Real ID has circulated for years, but the time to act has come.
“Identity verification is foundational to security,” said David Pekoske, the Transportation Security Administration’s administrator, in a statement. “I urge those who use a driver’s license or state-issued identity card as their primary form of identification to access federal facilities or board commercial passenger aircraft, to ensure these credentials are REAL ID-compliant. We are committed to engaging with the public, licensing jurisdictions, and states to facilitate a smooth transition to REAL ID enforcement beginning May 7, 2025, which this rule supports.”
Real ID in Utah
According to Utah’s Department of Public Safety, over 95% of Utahns are already Real ID compliant.
To check your Utah Real ID status, look at your Utah driver’s license or identification card. If it has a gold star in the upper right-hand corner, you’re good to go.
