REAL ID Extension Means More Time to Update Your Driver’s License

If you were panicking because you hadn't updated your driver's license or ID to comply with the REAL ID requirements, you can exhale with sigh of relief.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it is extending the REAL ID full enforcement date by 19 months . The original date to comply was October 21, 2021. The new date to comply is May 3, 2023.

The reason for the extension according to the DHS was circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The effect of the coronavirus was felt in many government agencies including license bureaus across the nation. Many were operating at limited capacities and some still are.

Since the new date for May 3, 2023 will be used, the requirements from the DHS is as follows:

Every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.

Due to restrictions on license bureaus to process the REAL ID cards only 43 percent of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are currently REAL ID-compliant.

In a press release from the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas says:

“As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, 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.”

If you need more information on the REAL ID, contact https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.