Real ID Deadline Pushed Back Due to Pandemic

The Department of Homeland Security announced that it is delaying the date for Real ID for Americans traveling through airports due to the pandemic.

Travelers would have needed Real ID-compliant identification by October 1, but, because it was so difficult for many Americans to get to motor vehicle departments during the COVID-19 outbreak, that deadline has been pushed to May 3, 2023.

“Extending the Real ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a Real ID-compliant license or identification card,” Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.

Under the Real ID Act, passed by Congress after the 9/11 terror hijackings of 2001, travelers 18 or older wanting to board an airplane by using a driver’s license for identification must have one that conforms with the law’s stricter requirements.

This isn’t the first time that the Real ID deadline has been pushed back, but it is welcome news for the airline industry. The U.S. Travel Association, the National Governors Association and other groups called for an extension, and it seems that message was received.

Real ID-compliant identification is part of the 2005 Real ID Act and requires additional proof of residency and identity for security reasons.