Can you still get a REAL ID before the deadline? What happens May 7 and after?

A new form of identification will start being enforced on May 7.

Do you still have time to get a REAL ID? And what happens after the deadline?

Here’s what to know:

Can you get a REAL ID before the May 7 deadline?

You can apply and receive a REAL ID the same day. That means if you wait at a DMV and have your paperwork in order, you can walk away with the new identification, which will be required starting May 7 to travel on domestic airline flights.

Can you apply after the deadline for a REAL ID?

If the May 7 enforcement deadline has passed, you can still get a REAL ID. But if you go to the airport without a Real ID, passport or another acceptable piece of identification after the deadline, the Department of Homeland Security warns you “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.”

The Transportation Security Administration states that fliers without acceptable identification will need to undergo additional security procedures.

These ID requirements apply to everyone age 18 or older, including people with TSA PreCheck. People whose identity cannot be confirmed or who refuse to complete the additional screening will not be able to pass through airport security, according to the TSA.

How do you get a REAL ID?

You may already have one if you got your last driver’s license at a Florida DMV. You’ll need to go to a driver’s license or tax collector’s office if you don’t yet have a REAL ID.

You can’t obtain a REAL ID online or through the mail.

“Customers must visit an office to become REAL ID compliant the first time,” according to the Florida department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Can you skip REAL ID and a passport to travel?

An alternative to the traditional passport book can get you through federal security: the U.S. passport card.

While you can’t use the card for international air travel, it does offer some advantages, including the cost: $65 for adults — less than the $165 for a passport book. The card allows land border crossings into Canada and Mexico, and sea travel to certain Caribbean destinations.

The U.S. passport card is a plastic document that fits easily in your wallet, similar in size to a driver’s license.

You can apply for the U.S. passport card using the same DS-11 form used for the passport book. You can also apply for a card even if you have a passport book.

Do you already have a REAL ID?

A REAL ID driver’s license or state identification card can be easily identified by a star inside a circle in the upper right corner of the card. If your license has the star, it meets REAL ID standards. If not, you should apply for it as soon as possible at a driver’s license office.

Travelers in the U.S. will be required to comply with REAL ID regulations to board flights and access certain federal facilities.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, travelers can’t board domestic flights without a REAL ID card unless they have a U.S. passport. The regulation on domestic travelers follows a measure passed in 2005 to increase national security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

This story was originally published May 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.