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« REAL ID
REAL ID goes into effect May 11, 2008. Recognizing states need more time to implement REAL ID, the department has offered states an extension to allow time to meet the requirements.
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What does it mean if my State has been granted a REAL ID extension?
That means your State will be moving toward more secure driver's licenses. Secure identification is a 9/11 Commission recommendation that will help combat terrorism and identity theft.
According to the REAL ID Act, if an individual chooses to present a State-issued driver’s license or identification card for an official purpose as of May 11, 2008, that driver’s license or identification card must be issued by a State that is complying with the REAL ID Act. Those official purposes include: accessing a Federal facility, boarding federally-regulated commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. Any person presenting a driver's license or state identification card from a State with an approved extension will be able to use the document for official purposes.
DHS recognizes that States cannot meet the full requirements of the Act by May 11, 2008 so it will grant extensions for those States that request them up to March 31, 2008. The extension is good through December 31, 2009. In addition, States that meet certain benchmarks for the security of their credentials and licensing processes will automatically be granted a second extension until May 11, 2011 to complete full implementation of REAL ID.
Federal agencies will continue to accept licenses for official purposes from those States who have been granted extensions, as well as those who have been certified as compliant with REAL ID.
The deadline for a State to request an initial extension is March 31, 2008.
What if my State does not request an extension? What will be the impact on individuals of non-compliant States?
If a State chooses not to request an extension, its driver’s licenses and identification cards will no longer be acceptable for official purposes as of May 11, 2008. This includes accessing a Federal facility, boarding federally-regulated commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. Individuals of these States can still present other forms of acceptable identification (government-issued photo ID, such as a U.S. passport, military ID, or government identification badge is often acceptable) to board federally regulated commercial aircraft, access Federal facilities and nuclear power plants.
Individuals that do not have other acceptable forms of identification (e.g., government-issued photo identification, such as a U.S. passport, military ID, or other government identification badge) may suffer delays at the airport due to the requirement for additional security screening.
This page was last reviewed/modified on April 2, 2008.