Do You Need A Real ID To Fly? May 7th Deadline Approaching

After years of deadline extensions and bureaucratic delays, the federal Real ID mandate is finally about to kick in. Whether you’re hopping on a quick Southwest shuttle or positioning for a long-haul to Europe, you’ll need the right credentials—or risk missing your flight entirely. Here’s everything travelers need to know as we approach the May 7, 2025, enforcement date.

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What Is Real ID and Why Is It Required Now?

Let’s rewind the clock a bit. The Real ID Act was passed all the way back in 2005, a direct response to the security shortcomings exposed by the 9/11 attacks. The goal was straightforward: tighten standards for issuing state driver’s licenses and ID cards to make them more secure and harder to forge.

Under the law, any state-issued ID that doesn’t meet federal Real ID criteria can no longer be used to board commercial aircraft or enter certain federal facilities. What makes an ID Real ID–compliant? Typically, you’ll spot a small star in the top right corner of the card—a symbol that your ID meets the higher verification thresholds required by DHS.

While the reasoning is grounded in security, the implementation has been—well, let’s call it what it is—a bureaucratic mess. The rollout involved every state issuing new IDs, retraining DMV staff (driver’s licenses are the most common ID used at US airports), and in some cases, rewriting software systems. Add to that the occasional political resistance over federal overreach and you get nearly two decades of foot-dragging.

So why is the enforcement happening now? Homeland Security has finally said enough is enough: as of May 7, 2025, TSA agents will turn away travelers at airport security checkpoints if they don’t have a Real ID-compliant form of identification—or an alternative.

Years of Delays and Missed Deadlines

If this all sounds familiar, it’s probably because this isn’t the first—or second—time you’ve been warned about it. The original deadline was October 1, 2020, but COVID-19 threw a wrench into everything. With DMVs closed and in-person appointments off the table, pushing the deadline made sense.

Subsequent extensions moved the date to 2021, then 2023, and finally to 2025. Each time, Homeland Security insisted the delay was final… until it wasn’t. In the meantime, a large percentage of Americans have continued traveling domestically with older driver’s licenses without a hiccup. Failing to get one now means you’ll have to bring a passport or other federally approved ID just to fly between New York and L.A. Those without a qualifying ID can’t fly nor enter federal buildings at all.

Alternatives to Real ID: What You Can Use Instead

Not everyone needs or wants to make a DMV appointment, and the good news is that Real ID isn’t the only way to fly.

If you’re holding a valid U.S. passport, you’re already set. The passport book (or card) remains the gold standard of federal identification and is accepted at every TSA checkpoint nationwide regardless of destination.

Other acceptable alternatives include:

• Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI cards
• U.S. military ID (for active duty, retirees, and dependents)
• Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
• DHS–trusted traveler cards

For frequent international travelers, opting for Global Entry or NEXUS might be the better play anyway—it gives you both expedited border entry and a Real ID–compliant document, plus TSA PreCheck benefits.

That said, if you don’t want to juggle multiple IDs or passports for domestic flights, Real ID might still be worth the minimal hassle.

Conclusion

The Real ID Act has been a long time coming—nearly two decades, in fact—and now the grace period is over. Whether you’re a casual flyer or a million-miler, if you’re flying within the U.S. starting May 7, 2025, and plan to use a driver’s license to clear TSA, it better be Real ID–compliant. The real question is when the rubber meets the road. If thousands of travelers are being turned away every day and the airlines (and checkpoints) are in chaos, it’s possible a further extension will be granted but as of right now, it looks like there won’t be a stay of execution.

What do you think? Do you have a Real ID? What do you think will happen if travelers simply don’t comply?