What is the REAL ID requirement?

What is the REAL ID Act and why does it affect flights?

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses and identification cards." [1] [2] The Act and its implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for license issuance and production. [1] [2]

The same rules prohibit federal agencies from accepting non-compliant driver's licenses and identification cards for certain official purposes, and that prohibition covers both physical cards and digital ones, also known as mobile driver's licenses (mDLs). [1] [2] In practice the standard reaches air travel: from May 2025, US travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and to access certain federal facilities. [1] [2]

The scope is domestic and federal. The standard governs which state-issued identification is accepted at security screening for domestic flights and at certain federal facilities. [1] [2] It does not replace a passport: a passport is an acceptable form of identification and may be used in lieu of a REAL ID driver's license or ID to board domestic flights and visit federal facilities. [1] [2] For the separate rules on travel documents used when entering another country, see passport validity and entry checks.

How do you know if your license is REAL ID compliant?

TSA's readiness check asks whether your driver's license or ID has a star (and/or flag) or says "Enhanced." [1] [2] If it does, the card is treated as REAL ID ready, and that ID is what you need to board domestic flights. [1] [2]

If the card carries none of those markings, TSA's next question is whether you hold a passport, and after that whether you hold one of the other acceptable forms of identification. [1] [2] A traveler who answers no to all of these is told they are not REAL ID ready and must have a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to board a domestic flight or visit a federal facility. [1] [2]

Because issuance is handled by the states, TSA points travelers to their home state or territory's DMV to make a plan, and its map covers all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. [1] [2] Document design and state practice change, so it is worth confirming the current position with that DMV rather than relying on an older card. [1] [2]

Which documents can you use instead of a REAL ID?

A REAL ID card is not the only way through a domestic checkpoint. A passport is an acceptable form of identification and may be used in lieu of a REAL ID driver's license or ID to board domestic flights and visit federal facilities. [1] [2] TSA also publishes a list of other acceptable forms of identification that may be used in lieu of a REAL ID driver's license or ID at the airport to board domestic flights and when visiting federal facilities. [1] [2]

What if your state ID is not compliant?

The route depends on what else you hold. If your license or ID does not carry the star, flag or "Enhanced" marking, TSA's check moves on to whether you have a passport, and then to whether you hold another acceptable form of identification. [1] [2] A passport clears the checkpoint for domestic flights and federal facilities just as a REAL ID card does, and so do the other documents on TSA's acceptable identification list. [1] [2]

• No acceptable ID. Travelers without an acceptable form of ID must pay a $45 fee under TSA ConfirmID. [1] [2]
• Getting a compliant card. TSA directs travelers who are not REAL ID ready to their state or territory DMV to learn more. [1] [2]
• Digital ID. The prohibition on accepting non-compliant cards covers digital cards, or mobile driver's licenses, as well as physical ones. [1] [2]
• What the rule is not. REAL ID is a standard for state-issued licenses and ID cards used for domestic flights and certain federal facilities; it does not replace a passport, which remains an acceptable form of identification in its own right. [1] [2]

One timing point matters when you plan a trip: enforcement began May 7, 2025, and the requirement described here applies from that date. [1] [2]

Frequently asked questions

When did REAL ID enforcement begin at US airports?

Enforcement began on May 7, 2025, from which point US travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. [1] [2]

Can I use my passport instead of a REAL ID for a domestic flight?

Yes. A passport is an acceptable form of identification and may be used in lieu of a REAL ID driver's license or ID to board domestic flights and visit federal facilities. [1] [2]

What does the star on my driver's license mean?

TSA's readiness check treats a driver's license or ID that has a star (and/or flag) or says "Enhanced" as REAL ID ready, and says you will need that ID to board domestic flights. [1] [2]

What happens if I arrive without an acceptable form of ID?

Under TSA ConfirmID, travelers without an acceptable form of ID must pay a $45 fee. [1] [2]

Where do I get a REAL ID?

TSA directs travelers to their home state or territory's DMV, and its state map lists all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. [1] [2]

Related pages

Trip planning: United States destination guide. Documents: passport validity and entry checks. Airport security: trusted traveller programmes. Glossary: all frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Airline frequent flyer programmes are not covered here; nor are identity rules outside the United States, or other trusted traveller and airport security programmes, which are described elsewhere on the site.

1. US Department of Homeland Security, REAL ID, checked 18 October 2026
2. Transportation Security Administration, REAL ID, checked 18 October 2026