Twenty years in the creation, the 2005 real ID Act finally comes into force on May 7th.
The law adopted against other increasingly stringent security measures after September 11 found that Americans would need identification that meet “minimum security standards of driving licenses issued by the state.”
It also banned federal agencies from accepting identification from countries that do not meet these standards, according to the Ministry of Homeland Security.
The actual implementation of the regulations eventually took two decades, hitting a few road bumps along the way. Now that the implementation will soon begin, however, those who do not provide a compatible identification number on time will soon not be able to enter federal facilities or get on domestic flights.
Are there a flight and there is no real ID card at hand? Here’s what you know about trying to take it in a pinch.
Is there a deadline for a true identifier?
Yes. Travelers must have a real ID to fly internally on or after 7 May 2025.
Following the deadline, passengers can use acceptable alternative forms of identity, including passports, military identification numbers, a nation and an Indian ID or an improved driver’s license (accessible only in Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Vermont) for internal trips.
How to get a real ID?
The procedures are different between countries, so it is important to check your local requirements. Often, getting a true ID will require you to go to the local DMV with the appropriate documents and complete the process personally. This usually includes the provision of an agency employee with your documents, completing a form, answering questions, paying a fee and for some, taking a new photo.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Galego explains the upcoming deadline for receiving a real ID at a press conference at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on April 10, 2025.
What is the fastest way to get a real identifier before the deadline?
As countries handle the process individually, your ability to get a true ID on the move will vary greatly.
If you need a personal meeting, additional documents or you live in a densely populated area, your timeline may be different from those who can start the process online, enter without a meeting, or live in fewer populated areas.
Some countries, such as Texas, provide a resource to check how long you wait can be in advance. Getting a meeting in Alpiy, for example, will only take about two to three days by April 28 against Bastrop, which had a time of 43 to 44 days. Comparing the availability of meetings and waiting time in the office of several local driver’s/ID card offices can help you find a place with a faster time to execute.
Some states are working not only between offices, but they meet Americans outside DMV, such as the New York Annual Motor Show in Manhattan, where employees have been on site to process real personal applications.
Others, like New Jersey, have created protocols specifically to get people with upcoming travel plans quickly their new personal documents.
The state ID emergency program, launched on April 24, is for “qualified customers who have to board an internal flight within 14 days for reasons for life or death or for emergency travel plans and have no acceptable form of identification to clear TSA checkpoints” in accordance with the New Journal Commission press release.
If everything else fails, check (the relatively long) list of acceptable alternative forms of ID to use in the meantime.
South Salem DMV supports people on Friday, April 25, 2025 in Salem, Orem. As of May 7, Oregon residents 18 years or more must have a true driver’s license, ID permit, permit or other form of TSA approved identification to fly at home.
What documents do you need for a real identifier?
Travelers will have to show documents with the following to obtain a true license compatible with ID or ID according to DHS:
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Proof of identity: US Birth Certificate, US Passport or Permanent Residence Card (Green Card) if you are a non -US citizen.
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Proof of Social Security Number: Social Security Card, W-2 Form, Payment of a Little or Salary of Your Work, which confirms this information.
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Proof of residence: Declaration, mortgage report, leasing contract, utility bill or bank statement to prove that you are state residents will be required by some DMV.
“Countries may impose additional requirements, so consult the website of the driver’s licensing agency before you visit them personally, for additional guidance and assistance,” DHS told its website.
The most will be required to show documents proving your full legal name, date of birth, social security number, two evidence of address and legal status.
An employee checks people in New York DMV on April 28, 2025 in New York. May 7 is the upcoming deadline for applying for a real ID card, which will be required for internal air trips and access to certain federal facilities.
Can you get a real ID online?
The rules for obtaining a true identification number range from country to country. In some states, such as Pennsylvania, California, New York and Virginia, people who are looking for a true identification number can predict or apply online and then complete the process personally.
Some states, such as Texas, Michigan and Oklahoma, complete the whole process personally without an online component.
Can you get a real ID online? What do I know with the approach of the deadline May 7
How long will it take to get my real ID card?
The time it takes to obtain a true identification number will depend on the country that issues it. In some you will have to wait for an appointment while others can allow walking, but with the cost of additional lines.
Nevertheless, DMV throughout the country is experiencing a long time of waiting and congestion as people rush to receive their own before the deadline.
“If you need a true ID compatible ID for an upcoming trip, please leave enough time before receiving your paper copy, for example,” for example, on your website, you told your website. “The difficult copy will arrive after 10-20 days at the postal address you provided.”
In New York, two USA Today reporters have found that the most recently available meetings to get a real ID card are more than a month since April 28.
Meanwhile, the Connecticut Motor Vehicle Department advises residents that solid copies will arrive “within 20 working days” of their appointment.
Contribution: James Powel, Nathan Diller, USA today
This article originally appeared in the USA Today: The real identification time is approaching: how quickly get it