DO YOU HAVE your REAL ID yet? If you are 18 or older and plan to fly domestically and don’t have a passport, you’ll need a state-issued REAL ID to step on a domestic flight starting Wednesday.
Here’s what you need to know:
What is a REAL ID?
It’s a driver’s license or other state-issued ID that meets security requirements mandated in a 2005 law passed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
Obtaining an ID with the designation — indicated by a white star in a yellow circle in most states — means taking more documents to the motor vehicle agency than most states require for regular IDs.
The program has already been delayed several times by states that weren’t prepared to offer the IDs, people being slow to update their documents and by the COVID-19 pandemic. With those hurdles mostly passed, the government is set to require the new IDs rather than old state driver’s licenses and IDs for commercial air travel starting Wednesday, May 7.
However, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said this week that for the time being, air travelers that do not have a REAL ID will be funneled into a specific line to go through extra security.
People will also be required to carry the new IDs or a passport to enter secure federal facilities such as military bases or to get into nuclear power plants.
Who needs a REAL ID
People age 18 and over who don’t fly or visit military bases or other sites where the IDs are required may not need new identification. People who have photo IDs from federally recognized tribal nations don’t need anything new. Employment authorization green cards are already acceptable, as are some other less common identifying documents on the government’s list.
REAL ID is not required to drive, vote or receive state or federal services or benefits.
Still, a lot of people may need one.
The enhanced cards have been available for years from every U.S. state and territory’s motor vehicle agency. People who haven’t obtained one by Wednesday can still apply after that.
How to get a REAL ID
To expedite getting a REAL ID, the California Department of Motor Vehicles recommends starting via its online portal.
The portal allows residents to set up an appointment at the DMV and submit required documents online to prove identity prior to the appointment, which helps to speed up the process. Applicants are still required to bring the original documents (e.g., valid passport and utility bill, or birth certificate and bank statement) to the DMV.
After completing the online form, applicants can make an appointment at their local DMV. An appointment means a shorter wait at the DMV, which can have notoriously long waits.
Applicants can also visit the DMV without an appointment to receive a REAL ID. Applicants must bring specific documents to prove their identity.
The DMV is offering special appointments for this Saturday at its Oakland, Concord and San Jose offices.
However, those looking to get an appointment at their local DMV office should be prepared to wait. As of Tuesday afternoon, the Napa DMV’s soonest opening for REAL ID appointments was June 18 and in San Francisco, July 28. The Capitola DMV, which also serves Santa Cruz, had no appointments available in the immediate future.
Reporting by Geoff Mulvihill of the Associated Press, with contributions by Bay City News staff writer Sarah Stierch.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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