The REAL ID deadline is Wednesday. What to know if you don’t have one yet

On Wednesday, the driver’s license you already have might not allow you through airport security — at least not without delays, additional screenings and extra identity checks.

Starting May 7, every person 18 or older boarding a domestic flight will now need to present identification that meets federal REAL ID standards: a REAL ID driver’s license or state identification card, a passport or another federally approved document.

But if you have a domestic flight coming up, don’t panic: If you’ve applied for or renewed your driver’s license in the past few years, there’s a good chance you already have a REAL ID (here’s how to tell.) And if not, there are several other documents you can show TSA instead of a REAL ID, including a U.S. or foreign passport. In fact, the California DMV recommends that anyone whose driver’s license isn’t due for renewal but who holds a valid passport right now “can comfortably wait to convert to a REAL ID when their driver’s license is due for renewal.”

What’s more, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said Tuesday that people without a REAL ID-compliant document will still “be allowed to fly.”  These travelers “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” Noem told a congressional panel — but “we will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”

Here’s everything you need to know about REAL ID requirements and how and where they’ll be enforced.

Who needs to apply for a REAL ID?

According to the law, once the REAL ID rules go into effect Wednesday, a federal agency won’t accept any state-issued driver’s license or identification card that does not follow REAL ID standards. This applies when you are entering:

• A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) or security checkpoint at a U.S. airport
• A federal building
• A military base
• A nuclear power plant

In California, the Department of Motor Vehicles is the agency responsible for processing REAL ID applications. 

You can still apply for a REAL ID after May 7 — and of course, “not everybody in the country will be flying on [that date],” said Lorie Dankers, a spokesperson with TSA’s Strategic Communications and Public Affairs team.

May 7 is a Wednesday, which is “traditionally one of our lower passenger volume days,” said Dankers. “And so people might have a little extra time before their flight when they have to adhere to these requirements.”

I heard that TSA might not be enforcing REAL IDs straightaway on May 7. Is that still true?

No. In January, TSA announced guidelines for what it called “phased enforcement” of REAL IDs, which could allow federal agencies  “necessary flexibility” in introducing these new requirements.

But on April 11, TSA announced that there would now be “full enforcement on May 7.” So if people have previously heard about that earlier phased enforcement plan, they should know “that is not the policy now” said Dankers.

Starting on May 7, have a plan ready to comply the REAL ID requirement when passing through airport security.

How do I know if I already have a REAL ID?

When you look at your current California driver’s license or identification card, what do you see in the upper right corner?

If there is a golden bear with a white star in the middle of it, your driver’s license or identification card already meets REAL ID standards and can be used when passing through TSA airport checkpoints or entering federal buildings.

But if you only see text instead that reads “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY,” your driver’s license or identification card is not a REAL ID and will not be accepted by TSA agents or a federal building security checkpoints starting May 7.

If this is you, remember that there are several other documents you can provide at an airport security checkpoint instead of a REAL ID, including your U.S. or foreign passport.

What will happen at the airport on May 7 if I don’t have a REAL ID?

Remember, TSA is moving to “full enforcement” of REAL ID standards starting May 7, and because it’s a federal agency, these rules will be “applied evenly across the country, across all the airports” starting that day, confirmed Dankers.

But don’t panic: If you need to travel on or after May 7 but still don’t have a REAL ID by then, you can instead use:

• A U.S. or foreign passport
• A green card (permanent resident card)
• A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler card like Global Entry
• A military ID
• A Tribal Nation ID

See other federally recognized documents that TSA says are an “acceptable alternative” to a REAL ID.

What if you don’t bring any of these other documents? In that case, “travelers can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint if we can’t verify your identity,” said Dankers.

Anyone without a REAL ID-compliant document will still “be allowed to fly,” U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem told a congressional panel Tuesday, but said these travelers “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step.”

All this means: If you don’t have a REAL ID-compliant form of ID, the chances of missing your domestic flight on May 7 or after could still be high. As for how long those delays in your local airport’s security line could be starting May 7, Dankers said it’ll be “completely dependent upon the number of other travelers who are in the same situation.”

TSA estimates that around 81% of travelers nationwide are ready to present acceptable identification, including REAL ID. But Dankers warned that since an average 2.5-2.6 million people travel through U.S. airports at this time of year,  this leaves 19% of travelers — up to 500,000 people — “that may not be prepared for this.”

“It’s not a risk you want to take,” said Dankers. “Now is the time to make a plan” and either apply for a REAL ID or make sure you have another compliant document.

How do I get a REAL ID?

“We recommend that if you already have a valid U.S. passport or don’t need to fly within the U.S. in the next few months to wait to get your REAL ID when you renew your California driver’s license or ID card,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon.

But if you’ve applied for a driver’s license or state identification card in the past, the process to eventually get your REAL ID is quite similar. You’ll just need to present a few more documents this time.

You will still need to plan for a visit to the DMV — sorry. And amid reports of long lines and scarce appointments, the California DMV announced earlier this month that select offices would open an hour early by appointment through June 27 for REAL ID applications only. In the Bay Area, this includes the Fremont and Pleasanton DMV offices. The Concord, Oakland and San Jose DMV offices are also offering extra REAL ID appointments on Saturday.

If you want to speed up the process, agency officials recommend first starting the application online at realid.dmv.ca.gov, where you can choose between a REAL ID driver’s license or a REAL ID state identification card.

The application will ask you to upload:

• A document recognized by the federal government that confirms your identity, which could include: a U.S. passport, a birth certificate, a permanent resident card (a.k.a., a green card) or foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa.
• Two printed documents that confirm your California mailing address, which could include: A bill from PG&E or another utility company, bank statements, tax returns, medical documents, a lease agreement or a mortgage statement.

As you’re drawing together your paperwork, make sure that the first and last name printed on these documents exactly matches the first and last name you are using in your REAL ID application.

Once your application is complete, the online portal will give you the option to book an appointment at the DMV office of your choice, to have your documents verified. When the day of your appointment arrives, make sure to bring with you all the original documents you uploaded to your application. “It needs to be the actual passport or a certified copy of the birth certificate,” said California DMV spokesperson Chris Orrock.

“We don’t have to scan [the documents] and upload them again,” he added. “You’re just showing them, and we’re looking at the screen of what you uploaded. We verify that they match, and then you’re on your way.”

Something else to remember: At the DMV office, you will need to provide your Social Security Number. And if you are applying for a driver’s license for the very first time, you will still need to meet all the other requirements to confirm your driving ability, in addition to providing the required REAL ID documentation.

It’s also worth noting that California still offers driver’s licenses and identification cards that are not REAL ID-compliant — an option for those who are unable to provide the documentation required for a REAL ID. Although these IDs include the “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” text and won’t get you past TSA checkpoints, you can still use them to prove your identity and in the case of a license, confirm at a traffic stop that you meet the state’s requirements to drive a car.

Why has the REAL ID enforcement deadline been extended so many times?

Twenty years ago — before the first iPhone went on sale — Congress passed the Real ID Act of 2005, establishing national standards for driver’s licenses and identification cards provided by individual states. At the time, with the United States still in shock from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, lawmakers behind this bill argued that REAL ID standards would help prevent future such attacks by making it harder for terrorists to travel.

When Congress originally passed the Real ID Act, the enforcement date was set three years into the future — 2008. However, due to complicated legal battles between the federal government and the states over this law — along with the COVID-19 pandemic — DHS kept pushing back the deadline, resulting in a 17-year delay.

What options do transgender or nonbinary people have when applying for a REAL ID?

On his first day back in the White House, Trump signed an executive order that declared the federal government will only “recognize two sexes, male and female” — and his administration directed the State Department to suspend all U.S. passport applications requesting an “X” marker or change a current sex marker.

So what about REAL IDs? While they must include a person’s gender, the text of the Real ID Act does not specify or define gender categories.

A driver’s license is a state document and in 2017, California passed the Gender Recognition Act to “ensure that intersex, transgender, and nonbinary people have state-issued identification documents that provide full legal recognition of their accurate gender identity.”

This law gives Californians three gender options when completing an application for a driver’s license or identification card: female, male and nonbinary — the last option represented by an “X” on documents. California is one of 22 other states (plus Washington, D.C.) that offer this option.

As for the Trump administration’s “two sexes” executive order,  Orrock said that it still does not affect gender designations on California-issued REAL IDs, driver’s licenses or identification cards.

“[The Gender Recognition Act] ensures that Californians have the ability to have their true gender identity legally recognized on all their official documents,” he said. “California’s legislation allows for the three gender options … that will stay in the future.”

DHS, which oversees TSA checkpoints at airports, has not announced if it will change its policy around REAL IDs with an “x” in the gender category.

Can undocumented people request a REAL ID?

According to the Real ID Act, states must require individuals to prove that they are either U.S. citizens or are in the country “lawfully.”

If you are not a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a REAL ID if you:

• Are permanent resident;
• Have been approved for asylum status or have a pending application
• Entered the U.S. with refugee status;
• Have a foreign passport that includes a valid, unexpired U.S. visa;
• Have been approved for temporary protected status (TPS) or have a pending application; or
• Have an approved deferred action status.

If you don’t have any type of legal status, like the ones above, then you will not be able to request a REAL ID.

However, undocumented Californians are eligible for AB 60 driver’s licenses — named after the 2013 law that allows the DMV to issue a driver’s license to any resident who is eligible for one, regardless of immigration status. But they can’t use it as REAL ID, Orrock confirmed, and it won’t be accepted by TSA agents or security at federal buildings after Wednesday.

​​Richmondside is a media partner of KQED, a listener-supported public radio station serving Northern California. We occasionally republishe KQED stories we believe will be of interest to our readers.