The Transportation Security Administration on Monday published a final rule providing a framework for federal agency phased enforcement of Real ID requirements. Federal agencies, including TSA, will begin Real ID enforcement on the deadline of May 7, 2025.
Starting on that date, only those state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security requirements established by the Real ID Act will be allowed for official purposes, including boarding commercial aircraft.
The Department of Homeland Security will allow agencies to take a phased approach to full enforcement but must coordinate that approach with DHS and must publish a timeline to begin full enforcement by May 5, 2027.
The rulemaking cites “a real possibility of disruption” if “all agencies begin full enforcement on the [2025] deadline.” TSA, however, did not immediately indicate that planned a phased approach to enforcement at airports.
“Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 to enhance security standards for identification, directly in response to the security vulnerabilities highlighted by the 9/11 attacks,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “Identity verification is foundational to security. I urge those who use a driver’s license or state-issued identity card as their primary form of identification to access federal facilities or board commercial passenger aircraft, to ensure these credentials are Real ID-compliant.”
The agency said it is committed to engaging with the public, licensing jurisdictions and states to facilitate a smooth transition to Real ID enforcement.
All states currently issue Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards. TSA urges travelers to obtain compliant licenses or cards before May 7, 2025, to avoid delays at airport security checkpoints.
It’s been a long road to Real ID enforcement. The Real ID Act, enacted in 2005 pursuant to a 9/11 Commission recommendation, established minimum security standards for state-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards that federal agencies may accept for purposes of boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft, accessing certain federal facilities and entering nuclear power plants.
Enforcement for Real ID originally was set for 2008, but significant state opposition to the costs and logistics involved in replacing driver’s licenses and IDs for residents delayed the process. The deadline was Oct. 1, 2021, but was delayed to May 3, 2023, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a reported lack of state-by-state readiness as determined by DHS.
By December 2022—6 months before the 2023 enforcement was to begin—DHS again delayed the rollout, this time to May 7, 2025. The final rule issued yesterday by TSA confirms the 2025 date will remain unchanged.
