REAL ID explained: what changed and which ID you need to fly

What REAL ID is, where it is enforced since May 7, 2025, which other IDs TSA accepts at the checkpoint, and how to tell whether your license is compliant.

Guide · all states · REAL ID · ID for flying · updated October 29, 2026

REAL ID is a federal standard for state driver's licenses and ID cards. It does not change who can drive, but it does decide whether your license works as ID at an airport checkpoint and at certain federal sites. This guide explains what the law covers, where enforcement stands as TSA describes it today, which other documents you can use instead, and how to check the card already in your wallet.

What REAL ID is

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, acting on a 9/11 Commission recommendation that the federal government set standards for identity documents such as driver's licenses. According to TSA, the law does two things:

• It sets minimum security standards for how states issue and produce licenses and ID cards.
• It stops federal agencies from accepting non-compliant licenses and IDs for certain official purposes. TSA notes this covers both physical cards and digital ones, including mobile driver's licenses.

Those official purposes are:

1. Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.
2. Entering certain federal facilities.
3. Entering nuclear power plants.

TSA says the law's restrictions do not affect uses of a license that have nothing to do with those purposes. Its FAQ also points out that the law does not create an ID requirement where none exists today, using the public areas of the Smithsonian as an example. If you do not plan to fly domestically or visit a federal facility, TSA's REAL ID page says you might not need a REAL ID at all.

Enforcement status today

Enforcement began on May 7, 2025. Since then, TSA says, state licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID-compliant are no longer accepted as identification at airports. Anyone 18 or older who flies within the U.S. or visits certain federal facilities needs either a REAL ID or another acceptable form of ID.

If you show up without acceptable ID

Since February 1, 2026, a traveler without an acceptable ID can choose to pay a $45 fee to use TSA ConfirmID. TSA will then try to confirm who you are. TSA is explicit that if it cannot verify your identity, you will not be allowed past the checkpoint, so paying the fee is not a guarantee of boarding.

IDs TSA accepts instead of a REAL ID license

A REAL ID license is only one option. TSA's identification page lists, among others:

• A state-issued REAL ID-compliant driver's license or ID card
• A state-issued Enhanced Driver's License or Enhanced ID card
• Certain mobile driver's licenses from states approved for federal use, as long as the mobile license is based on a REAL ID, Enhanced license or Enhanced ID
• A U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
• A DHS trusted traveler card: Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST
• A U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• A permanent resident card or a border crossing card
• A photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation, including Enhanced Tribal Cards
• An HSPD-12 PIV card
• A foreign government-issued passport
• A Canadian provincial driver's license or an Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• A Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
• A USCIS Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• A U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• A Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

TSA warns that this list can change without notice, so check it again shortly before your trip. TSA's FAQ adds that for a domestic flight you only need one valid ID: a REAL ID or an alternative such as a passport.

Rules that catch travelers out

• Temporary paper licenses do not count. TSA states that a temporary driver's license is not an acceptable ID.
• Expired IDs have a grace period. TSA currently accepts an expired ID from its list for up to two years after the expiration date.
• Children. TSA does not require ID from children under 18 flying within the U.S. For questions about ID for travelers under 18, TSA says to contact your airline. Unaccompanied minors who are eligible for TSA PreCheck must show acceptable ID to get expedited screening.
• Name suffixes. Differences such as Jr. or III between your boarding pass and your ID are accepted, and a suffix is not required on the boarding pass.
• International travel. TSA's FAQ notes that a REAL ID card is not a substitute for a passport for international travel; it cannot be used to cross the Canadian or Mexican border or for international cruises.

How to tell if your card is compliant

TSA's quick check is simple: look at the top of your license or ID. If it shows a star, a U.S. flag, or the word "Enhanced", TSA treats you as REAL ID ready.

A few details from TSA's FAQ:

• Compliant cards carry their marking on the upper part of the card.
• DHS recommends a gold star design, but states may use approved alternatives that differ in color, lettering or format. That is why the star looks different from state to state.
• Enhanced Driver's Licenses and Enhanced ID cards are marked with a U.S. flag and the word "Enhanced" at the top. Most do not carry a star, and TSA says that is fine.
• Five states issue Enhanced licenses: Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington.
• A card without a compliant marking will not be accepted as proof of identity for boarding a commercial flight.

TSA's REAL ID page has a state-by-state map that links to each state's DMV, so you can check with your own state.

How to get a REAL ID

You get a REAL ID from your state's driver licensing agency, not from TSA. TSA's FAQ says to start on your state agency's website, because states list the exact documents they want and may add requirements of their own. At a minimum, you will have to document:

1. Your full legal name
2. Your date of birth
3. Your Social Security number
4. Two proofs of your principal residence address
5. Your lawful status

TSA's FAQ says states do not have to ask for a physical document showing your Social Security number, though they may choose to. If your state does ask, documents TSA lists as acceptable include a W-2, an SSA-1099, a non-SSA-1099, or a pay stub showing your name and number. DHS also allows states to let applicants send identity and lawful status documents through a secure electronic process before the in-person visit, where the originals are still checked.

Quick checklist before you fly

• Look for a star, flag or "Enhanced" at the top of your license.
• No marking? Pack a passport, passport card or another ID from TSA's list.
• Carrying only a temporary paper license? Bring another accepted ID.
• Nothing on the list at all? You can pay the $45 ConfirmID fee, but TSA does not guarantee it can verify you.