What To Know About REAL ID

Only a week remains to get your REAL ID, y’all! Starting May 7, you’ll need a REAL ID to board domestic flights and enter secure federal buildings. Here’s what you need to know:

What Is REAL ID, Anyway?

For most purposes, REAL IDs and other state-issued ID cards aren’t that different. The main distinction is that state-issued IDs that aren’t considered REAL ID-compliant will no longer be accepted by the TSA starting May 7.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 as a way to increase air travel security post-9/11. The federal law sets minimum standards for the types of documents you have to show to get an ID card that’s considered acceptable for domestic air travel, and it also lays out the types of anti-counterfeiting measures states should take when issuing the cards.

Implementation has been delayed … a lot. Enforcement of the law was supposed to start in 2008, but not all states offered REAL ID-compliant cards, and some pushed back against the requirements because of privacy or cost issues. The most recent delay was to provide states with more time to work through COVID-era backlogs.

Do I Need a REAL ID?

It depends. You’ll need one if you’re 18 or older and want to take a domestic flight, get into a federal government facility that requires ID, or enter a military base — unless you have a different form of federally-accepted ID that you can show instead, like a passport or military identification.

How Can I Tell If My ID is Already a REAL ID?

Whether your ID was issued by Texas or another state, it should have a gold star in the upper corner if it’s considered REAL ID-compliant. Here's how that would look with Texas IDs.

How Do I Get a REAL ID in Texas?

There are a few ways to start:

Use this REAL ID document checklist to ensure you’re prepared for your visit.