What’s Going On With REAL ID? Things To Know In FL

FLORIDA — The deadline to get a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license has changed so many times it’s almost a punchline for a joke. Now, the date Florida residents need to remember is May 7, 2025.

After that date, if things stand as they are now, Florida residents will no longer be able to board domestic flights or enter nuclear power plants and certain federal buildings if they don’t have a REAL ID. One exception: A valid passport works as well as a REAL ID when boarding domestic flights. Additionally, these federal documents are accepted.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act, a recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, in 2005. It “establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards, and prohibits federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.”

Here are some things to know about REAL ID and the new deadline:

How Do I Know If I Have A REAL ID?

The new federally-compliant ID card looks slightly different from a traditional Florida driver's license. The new card has a little gold star in the top right corner, while a driver's license will be labeled "federal limits apply." Customers must visit an office to become REAL ID compliant for the first time.

How Do I Get A REAL ID?

Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles offices require an in-person visit to bring in the required documents for a REAL ID the first time. Check www.flhsmv.gov/locations to find a driver license service center or tax collector office near you. The agency recommends making an appointment prior to your office visit.

To obtain a real ID, Florida residents must provide documents to prove their identity, their Social Security number, a written signature and two documents that show proof of residence.

View the FLHSMV's fact sheet about the REAL ID here

Any Floridian who can prove their legal presence in the U.S. with one accepted identity document is eligible to apply for this card, officials said. DACA and Temporary Protected Status recipients are also eligible to apply if their documents are current, according to Florida officials. See the REAL ID checklist here.

How to apply for the REAL ID in Florida

To apply for the new card, you'll need to gather a few documents and take a trip to the DMV.

1. First gather any of the following identity documents:

• Valid U.S. passport
• Birth certificate
• U.S. certificate or consular report of birth abroad
• Certificate of naturalization or citizenship
• Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card
• Unexpired employment authorization document (EAD) Card (I-766) or valid/expired EAD Card with Notice of Action (I-797 C)
• Unexpired Permanent Resident Card or valid/expired Permanent Resident Card with Notice of Action (I-797 C) or Approval Notice (I-797)
• Unexpired foreign passport stamped "Processed for I-551"
• Documents reflecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) benefit eligibility

2. Then find proof of your social security number (full number required)

• Social Security card
• W-2 form
• SSA-1099 form
• Non-SSA-1099 form
• Paystub

3. Gather two of these documents to prove Florida residency

• Home utility bills (including cellular phone)
• Medical documents
• Car or Boat registration
• Employment documents
• Insurance documents
• Bank and Financial institution records
• Change of Address confirmation by the U.S. Postal Service
• Mortgage bill
• Rental or lease agreement (signed by owner and tenant)
• IRS or Florida FTB tax return

4. Visit a FLHSMV office. Find one close to you.

Why Is The Deadline So Fluid?

The Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline for REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses multiple times, most recently in late 2022 when the agency moved the implementation date back two years to May 7, 2025.

Homeland Security officials said COVID-19 pandemic-related backlogs have slowed states’ progress in issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses.

Those backlogs are greater in some states where driver’s license expiration dates were automatically extended, or by shifting operations to appointment only.

Should I Just Wait Until 2025?

With the extended deadline now about a year and a half in the future, the temptation to put off getting a REAL ID may be great. But that could mean longer lines and more competition for appointments in places that require them.

Homeland Security officials estimated that by May 2023, the REAL ID compliance deadline before the latest extension, only about 56 percent of the U.S. population over age 18 would have obtained one.