A deadline is quickly approaching for air travelers to have an updated Real ID.
On May 7, anyone looking to board a plane, or even enter certain federal facilities, will need to have IDs that are in compliance with the Real ID Act.
“Maryland, D.C., Virginia, there’s still time to get your Real ID-compliant driver’s license with that all-important star on it, but it’s better to get it sooner rather than later,” said Lisa Farbstein, with the Transportation Security Administration.
In the D.C. region, many people have already switched to compliant ID cards, but some outliers remain. In Maryland, 4,822,309 residents have switched, but 57,580 remain noncompliant, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.
A D.C. Department of Motor Vehicle spokesperson said 99% of all D.C credentials (driver’s licenses and ID cards) are REAL ID compliant; “which is one of the highest rates in the region.”
Since October 2018, the Virginia DMV has issued more than 4,011,000 REAL IDs, which accounts for 57% of all active licenses and IDs statewide through February 2025, the Virginia of Motor Vehicles said.
The Real ID program comes in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, in which Farbstein said all 19 terrorists who attacked the nation that day, did not have a proper form of identification.
“The whole idea is we want to know who is boarding the flights. We want to know that you are who you say you are when you get to our travel document checking podium at an airport,” Farbstein said.
The Real ID act was passed in 2005, but Farbstein said it took “a significant amount of time” for all states to become compliant. Also, the initial start of 2020 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, at a minimum, to receive a Real ID, a person provides documentation which shows their legal name, date of birth, their social security number and citizenship or legal status. Also, two proofs of address of principal residence will be required, which could include a document such as a lease or a utility bill.
“Another important thing is anybody who has changed their name, for example, because of a marriage or divorce, you need to bring proof of that name change as well,” Farbstein said.
Farbstein said enforcement is expected to be phased in, but right now, it is unclear what that phase-in plan will look like. She did warn, however, that a surge in people looking to get a Real ID from their state’s Department of Motor Vehicles is expected in the coming weeks, so she encourages people act now.
“We are concerned that people may show up at the checkpoints on May 7, and of course all the days after that, without the proper form of identification. And if that is the case, then what we’re doing is we want to avoid chaos and disruptions at airports nationwide,” she said.
According to the TSA website, a passport will still be accepted if a person does not have a compliant ID card.
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