TSA REAL ID Enforcement Begins May 7, 2025

Travelers, take note: TSA REAL ID enforcement begins May 7, 2025, after years of delays. If you've recently gotten or renewed your drivers license, that shouldn't be an issue, because all 50 U.S. states are now REAL ID compliant.

REAL ID-compliant licenses have a star on them that looks like one of the following:

But if for some reason you have an older drivers license, make sure you either get it updated to a REAL ID compliant version or take your U.S. passport or other acceptable ID with you when traveling domestically on or after May 7, 2025.

Acceptable Alternatives to a REAL ID-compliant drivers license:

State-Issued Drivers License or State-Issued ID
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)