Five States May Not Need a Real ID Before Deadline

Beginning on May 7, United States citizens will be required to have a new Real ID to fly domestically and enter federal buildings. However, the TSA has recently confirmed that some states will not require the Real ID after the May 7, 2025 deadline.

The new Real ID has been in the works since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, meeting stricter identification requirements. It can be recognized by a gold star located in the upper right corner of the identification card.

However, residents of five different states in the United States have a different option besides getting the Real ID. Residents of Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, or Vermont can instead opt for an Enhanced Driver's License (EDL).

"State-issued Enhanced Driver's Licenses and identification cards (EDL/EID) are designated as acceptable border-crossing documents by DHS under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and are an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID for boarding a commercial aircraft, accessing federal facilities, and entering nuclear power plants," the Department of Homeland Security said, according to The Lansing State Journal.

The biggest difference between the Enhanced Driver's License and the Real ID is that the EDL allows some international travel, permitting residents to pass through the land borders between the United States and both Mexico and Canada. The Real ID, meanwhile, only allows for domestic travel.

So if you are a resident of one of those five states and already have an EDL, there is not need for you to get a Real ID – the EDL will work just fine and fulfills all the same requirements as the Real ID.

If you do not live in one of those five states or do not have an EDL, you will still be required to have a Real ID or another approved form of identification to board a domestic flight.