State DMV Officials Seeing Last-Minute Rush for REAL IDs Ahead of Deadline

TSA officials say travelers should expect long waits and delays without it.

Passengers at O'Hare International Airport wait in line to be screened at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, in Chicago, Ill., on May 16, 2016. Scott Olson/Getty Images

State Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) and travel industry officials nationwide are seeing a last-minute surge by local residents seeking to become REAL ID compliant before the May 7 federal deadline.

Over the last several months, DMV officials in all 50 states and U.S. territories have been working closely with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) as the new REAL ID rules take effect this week at airports nationwide.

On May 6, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem testified before the U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee that 81 percent of travelers who use airlines in the United States already have IDs that comply with the requirements.

“We will do what other administrations failed to do—follow the law and implement the REAL ID program to stop domestic air travel of illegal aliens, criminals, and foreign nationals using fraudulent identification,” said Noem. “We will ensure compliance and security.”

After several postponements of the deadline to enforce pre-pandemic regulations to enhance security standards for domestic travelers, TSA spokeswoman Patricia Mantra told the Epoch Times that REAL ID enforcement will be in full force on May 7 at airport checkpoints nationwide.

She said TSA agents will be checking all travelers 18 years of age or older for a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification (ID) card, a state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another acceptable form of identification for domestic air travel, including a valid U.S. passport and other TSA-approved documents.

Mantra said TSA is warning domestic travelers without a real ID or other required documentation that they will face additional screening and wait times. She said they can fly if TSA agents can verify their identity.

“We can’t guarantee that we’re going to be able to get it done. So, it’s important that you get there extra early,” Mantra said.

Mantra said travelers without a REAL ID should check the TSA website to review the list of acceptable documents. Other acceptable forms of identification on the list include a valid U.S. or foreign government-issued passport, a U.S. Department of Defense ID, a veteran’s ID card, a federally recognized tribal ID, a Border crossing card, and a DHS trusted travel card.

In addition, Mantra said REAL ID regulations vary in all 50 states, leading to confusion about whether or not every resident needs one.

“It’s important to check their driver’s license make sure that they understand if they have a star on the upper right hand corner, or if they’re from New York, it’s a hologram; if they’re from California, it’s a bear with a star, and so on,” she said.

In Arkansas, DMV officials are setting records for the number of REAL IDs issued, with more than 9,000 new REAL IDs handed out on May 5 and more than 30,000 in April, according to Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) spokesman Scott Hardin.

“In May, we will obviously surpass that record, and we anticipate we will have around 900,000 Arkansans with an active REAL ID by the end of this month,” Hardin said.

The DFA spokesman said Arkansas has also taken extra steps to ensure REAL ID access, including opening the state’s 134 revenue offices on Saturday and dedicating staff to serve those applicants with a “pressing need” to take a domestic flight after the May 7 deadline.

Hardin said there also seems to be a misunderstanding in Arkansas and nationally about the REAL ID deadline.

“A REAL ID can be obtained May 8, 2025, or five years down the road, so we do not have a deadline at the state level. It will simply be required to board a flight beginning May 7,” he said. “For those who do not need a REAL ID immediately, they can visit anytime after May 7 and avoid the crowds.”

Since Arkansas began REAL ID registration in October 2016, Hardin also said many residents visiting state DMV offices recently have been surprised to find out they already had proper identification and didn’t realize it.

In other states, DMV officials are also seeing high REAL ID compliance rates among state residents due to proactive marketing and early adoption of the enhanced identification standards that began several years ago.

For example, the Texas Department of Public Safety began issuing REAL ID-compliant cards in late 2016, like Arkansas. Their REAL ID cards are marked with a gold circle with an inset star in the upper right-hand corner, a Texas DPS official told The Epoch Times via email.

As of May, 98 percent of Texas driver’s licenses and IDs are REAL ID compliant, according to Texas DPS  spokeswoman Sheridan Nolen. “As of May 7, 2025, anyone without a Real ID compliant DL card would have an expired DL,” she said in a note sent to The Epoch Times.

The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) began issuing REAL ID-compliant credentials to residents in 2019, and 95 percent of state residents are compliant. Last month, TSA and Utah DPS officials reminded state residents of the pending deadline.

“To ensure a smooth experience through the airport, allow extra time and arrive at the airport two hours prior when flying domestically and three hours for international flight,” Bill Wyatt, executive director of Salt Lake City Department of Airports, said in a statement provided to The Epoch Times.

Julian Kheel, CEO of Points Path, told The Epoch Times that many travelers believe the looming deadline will be pushed back again. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs.

“The REAL ID deadline has been pushed back repeatedly over the last 20 years, so many travelers are likely assuming it’ll be delayed again,” Kheel said. “The current administration appears determined to begin enforcement, even if it means potential disruptions at airports.”