Real ID Deadline Just Months Away: What To Know In RI

RHODE ISLAND — As the law stands, Rhode Island residents who are 18 and older must show a Real ID, a passport or other federally approved identification to board domestic flights or certain federal buildings beginning May 7.

The anti-terrorism law requiring the “gold star ID,” as it’s sometimes called, was originally supposed to take effect in 2008, but has been delayed so often that it has become a running joke. Will the Real ID Act really take effect this year?

Technically, yes.

The current May 7, 2025, deadline still stands, but the Transportation Security Administration has asked for flexibility to implement enforcement in phases, with progressive enforcement ending in 2027. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until then to make an application.

Here’s what you need to know about getting a Real ID or compliant identification card in Rhode Island:

Rhode Island residents who don’t plan to fly domestically or visit a federal office don’t need to do anything. A REAL ID isn't required to get a driver's license. Also, the TSA won’t require children under 18 to provide identification when they’re traveling with an adult companion within the United States, but the companion must have acceptable identification.

The REAL ID is not a substitute for a passport required for international travel, and it also does not affect the ability to vote or register to vote, applications for federal benefits, enter federal facilities that don’t require identification, obtain medical care, or participate in police proceedings or investigations.

The Real ID Act of 2005 was originally supposed to take effect in 2008 but has been delayed for multiple reasons, including those associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. States’ lack of urgency is also to blame, according to testimony at a late December 2023 Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security hearing that warned of “utter mayhem at our airports” on May 7, 2025, if the deadline is vigorously enforced.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates that only about 70 percent of state-issued identifications would be Real ID-complaint by the deadline.

TSA agents screen about 2.5 million passengers a day, and if just 1 percent of them were to present non-Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, 25,000 passengers could be turned away in a single day. In a week, 175,000 passengers would be prohibited from flying, 750,000 would be stopped in a month and 2.25 million would be denied in three months.

Under the proposed rule, people are strongly encouraged to get their Real IDs by the May 7 enforcement date, and they may face delays at airport security checkpoints if they don’t have it. Instead of stopping them from boarding aircraft, non-compliant travelers would be issued warnings to get their paperwork in order by May 5, 2027.

“TSA is engaging with the public, licensing jurisdictions and states to facilitate a smooth transition to REAL ID enforcement beginning May 7, 2025,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “REAL ID provides an important security enhancement, and this rule allows us to plan for a range of scenarios to help minimize the potential impact to travelers, industry stakeholders and states during implementation.”

Plans for the gradual rollout are still in progress. The TSA could use a three-strike rule, warning travelers multiple times to acquire their Real IDs before turning them away.

The Real ID law, passed in 2005 in response to the Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, strengthens national security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.