REAL ID Deadline Nears: New ID Rules for U.S. Domestic Flights

The U.S. REAL ID federal compliance deadline is May 7, 2025. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendation to set minimum security standards for identification such as driver's licenses; state-issued IDs from non-compliant states will no longer be accepted by federal agencies such as TSA. Compliant IDs are generally marked with a star, and travelers can verify their state's status via the Department of Homeland Security's REAL ID page. Travelers without a REAL ID can still fly domestically using other acceptable identification, including a U.S. passport, passport card, DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, permanent resident card, or an e…