REAL ID Deadline Extended Again: What It Means For VA Residents

VIRGINIA— Virginia residents will have an extra 24 months to obtain their REAL IDs, a document that will be necessary to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings, after the Department of Homeland Security on Monday extended the enforcement deadline to May 7, 2025.

Officials said the extension is needed, in part, because of lingering problems from COVID-19 that caused backlogs in state agencies charged with issuing driver’s licenses.

Precautions in many states included automatically extending expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards, and shifting to appointment-only schedules.

If you don't plan to travel on a domestic flight or visit a federal office beginning May 7, 2025, no worries. You don't need a REAL ID 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.

In Virginia, a REAL ID is optional for uses like driving, verification of identity for voting or other purposes, applying for federal benefits, and accessing health services. For these uses, a standard driver's license is permitted.

Virginians may start an application through their Virginia DMV online account but must visit a DMV customer service center to provide required documents for a REAL ID compliant driver's license or ID card. Customers will need to bring several documents from three categories:

• An unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate.
• A Social Security card or W-2 form with the number.
• A valid Virginia driver’s license, recent utility bills, mortgage statement, or rental lease agreements displaying current residential street address.

After you've received your first REAL ID compliant credential, you may renew online like with the standard driver's license.

The compliance deadline has been extended multiple times beyond the original date — April 27, 2020 — because of the pandemic. It was extended to October 2021, but in May of that year, DHS extended it again to May 3, 2023.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 was passed by Congress after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Past the new enforcement date of May 7, 2025, federal agencies, including the TSA, will not be able to accept identification that does not meet REAL ID standards.

A REAL ID card will have a little gold star in the top right corner, while a traditional driver's license will be labeled "federal limits apply." In addition to the stars on REAL ID driver's licenses, the cards themselves will be built with new technology, making them much more difficult to forge, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The REAL ID isn't a substitute for a passport required for international travel, and it also doesn't 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.

Editor's note: Since the U.S. Department of Homeland Security just announced the deadline extension, the new May 7, 2025 deadline isn't yet reflected on the Virginia DMV website as of Monday morning. Check back for updated information on the Virginia DMV's REAL ID information web page.