Have you gotten your REAL ID yet? If not — from one procrastinator to another — this is a PSA that your non-REAL ID driver’s license isn’t gonna cut it at airport security starting May 7, 2025 … less than a year from now.
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, starting next May, you can use a REAL ID to board a domestic flight, and other state-issued IDs that aren’t considered REAL ID-compliant will no longer be accepted by the TSA.
Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 as a way to increase air travel security post-9/11. According to The Washington Post, 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 (i.e., a REAL ID), and it also lays out the types of anti-counterfeiting measures that states have to take when issuing those cards.
Implementation has been delayed … a lot. Originally, enforcement of the law was supposed to start in 2008, but that deadline got pushed to 2020, then 2021, then 2023 — and then 2025.
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 ID.
PennDOT has a quiz that can help you figure out if you need one.
Why the Delays?
At first, not all states offered REAL ID-compliant cards, and some pushed back against the requirements because of privacy or cost issues, according to NPR. Pennsylvania first started offering REAL ID cards in 2019, and all U.S. states offered a compliant option by 2020.
The other deadline shifts have been pandemic-related. The most recent one was meant to provide the state agencies that issue the cards more time to work through COVID-era backlogs.
How Do I Get a REAL ID in Pennsylvania?
There are a few ways to start.
You can apply for “pre-verification” online and wait to hear back — i.e., you can ask PennDOT to check if the documentation you need is already on file. If you end up qualifying, you’ll be able to complete the process online and just get your ID in the mail.
Or, you can visit one of PennDOT’s Driver License Centers or REAL ID centers in person.
- If you go to a regular Driver License Center, you’ll have to wait 15 business days to get your ID.
- If you go to a dedicated REAL ID center, you can get your ID then and there. There’s one of these in Philly proper, located at 2904 South 70th St. in Eastwick.
- In both cases, before you go, make sure you have all the documents you need. They’ll ask for proof of identity, proof of your Social Security Number, proof of address, and proof of any legal name changes. (Here’s the document checklist for U.S. citizens, and here’s the document checklist for non-U.S. citizens.)
The ID will cost you $30, plus renewal fees once it expires.
How Can I Tell If My ID is Already a Real ID?
Whether your ID was issued by Pennsylvania or another state, it should have a star in the upper corner if it’s considered REAL ID-compliant. If your driver’s license or ID card isn’t compliant, it should say “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES.”
