REAL ID: do you need one, and how to get it in one trip

What REAL ID is

REAL ID is a federal security standard for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, acted on the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government set standards for identification documents. States issue the cards; the federal government sets the minimum standards for the documents states must check and the security features on the card. Enforcement began on May 7, 2025.

Where you need it, and where you do not

You need a REAL ID-compliant license or ID, or another acceptable document such as a passport, to:

• Board domestic flights at TSA checkpoints.
• Enter federal government facilities and military installations that require ID.
• Enter nuclear power plants.

Those federal purposes are what the rules cover. Your license still works as a driving license whether or not it is REAL ID-compliant. If you have a valid passport and do not mind carrying it, you may not need a REAL ID at all, though many people prefer not to carry a passport for every domestic trip.

Check your card first

Look at the upper right corner of your license or state ID. A star, often inside a circle or a shape like your state's outline, means it is already compliant. If your card says something like "Federal limits apply" or "Not for REAL ID purposes", it is not compliant.

The documents to bring

Each state publishes its own list, but they fall into the same categories set by the federal standard:

Bring originals or certified copies. Most states do not accept photocopies, and many limit which documents count for each category, for example only bills dated within the last few months.

Common reasons people get turned away

• A name that changed without a document showing the change, especially after more than one marriage or divorce, when each change may need its own document.
• Photocopies instead of certified copies.
• Proofs of address that are too old, are in someone else's name or are on the state's not-accepted list.
• A Social Security document that does not meet the state's rules, in states that still require one.

If you are flying soon without one

Bring a valid passport or another TSA-acceptable ID. TSA lists acceptable alternatives on its site. If you have no acceptable ID at all, TSA's ConfirmID process charges a $45 fee for identity verification, and arriving early is essential.

After you get it

Check the card when it arrives: spelling of your name, date of birth, address and the star marking. Note the expiration date in your calendar; a REAL ID expires on the same schedule as an ordinary license in your state, and renewing may be possible online if your documents are already on file. If you move within the state, update your address with the motor vehicle agency within its deadline. If you move to another state, you will need to apply for that state's license, and bringing the same set of documents again is the safest assumption.