The deadline to have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, US passport, US military ID or other accepted identification to fly within the United States has been delayed due to the coronavirus. The original deadline date was October 1, 2020, but the federal, state and local response to the global COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a delay, says the Department of Homeland Security. The new deadline is October 1, 2021, a one-year extension from the previous date, according to a statement by Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security:
“The federal, state and local response to the spread of the coronavirus here in the United States necessitates a delay in this deadline. Our state and local partners are working tirelessly with the administration to flatten the curve and, therefore, we want to remove any impediments to response and recovery efforts.”
The see if your state driver’s license or identification card is REAL ID-compliant check if there’s a star in the upper right-hand corner. Some state departments of motor vehicles confirm REAL ID status online.
To get a REAL ID-compliant state driver’s license, the US Department of Homeland Security requires applicants to provide documentation that shows their full legal name, their date of birth, their Social Security Number, two proofs of address of principal residence and lawful status. Each state may impose additional identification requirements.
REAL ID and TSA Pre-Check are 2 of the 9/11 Commission’s travel safety recommendations to the federal government.
