Deadline to obtain a REAL ID for travel delayed by two years

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline for travelers to have a Real ID by two years.

Travelers in the U.S will be required to obtain a REAL ID by May 7, 2025. The requirement was originally scheduled to take effect May 2023.

Starting on May 7, 2025, every traveler 18 years or older will need a REAL ID to go through security checkpoints for domestic air travel, federal facilities and to enter nuclear power plants.

DHS said in a press release Monday the extended deadline is necessary due to the lasting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The progress of REAL ID has been has been moving slower than expected as state driver's license agencies are having to work through backlogs created by the pandemic.

A REAL ID will have a start in the upper right hand corner. A license that is not compliant with a REAL ID will say, "Not for REAL ID Purposes," in the upper right-hand corner.

To obtain a REAL ID in Missouri you need a proof of identification, lawful status, Social Security number and proof of residence. You can go to one of Missouri's licensing offices to apply.

The REAL ID Act -- passed in 2005 -- establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, a press release stated. Security standards include incorporating anti-counterfeiting technology, preventing insider fraud and using documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.