Starting next year, you will need a Real ID driver’s license if you want to use your driver’s license to pass through security checks at U.S. airports.
If you don’t have a Real ID, there are a number of other identification documents that are accepted for check-in at airports, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
This includes:
US passport
US passport card
DHS-approved travel cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense identification card, including cards issued to dependents
Permanent residence card
Border crossing card
A valid photo ID from a federally recognized tribe/Native American tribe
HSPD-12 PIV card
Passport issued by a foreign government
Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transport worker ID card
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services work permit card (I-766)
US Merchant Marine Certificate
Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC)
According to DHS, a firearms permit is not an accepted identification document for domestic flights.
For the ID types listed above, the TSA currently accepts expired IDs for up to one year after expiration.
Children under 18 years of age do not need to show identification for domestic flights.
Starting May 7, 2025, adult Americans will need a Real ID card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal properties, including courthouses and military installations.
The cards are also required for access to nuclear power plants.
The REAL ID Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2005, implemented the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “establish standards for the issuance of identification tools such as driver’s licenses and national identity cards,” according to the DHS.
The Act and its implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for the issuance and production of driver’s licenses and prohibit federal agencies from accepting non-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards for certain official purposes.
Real ID implements security processes designed to reduce identity fraud and provide the highest level of assurance that the person presenting you with your identification document is who they claim to be.
Real ID driver’s licenses or non-driver’s license cards are available from motor vehicle departments or equivalent offices in the 50 states, including the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
A Real ID card must be presented in person. The application cannot be submitted online, by phone, or by mail.
Here’s how to find out if you already have a Real ID.
You should have these documents on hand before you go to the DMV to apply for your Real ID.
How to avoid the most common mistakes when applying for a Real ID.
There is no additional fee for a Real ID, but standard DMV processing fees apply.
