REAL ID Deadline Extended Again For Wisconsin, Rest Of Nation

WISCONSIN — U.S. residents will have an additional 19 months to get their REAL ID after the Department of Homeland Security delayed the requirement for air travelers to have a REAL ID-compliant form of identification by Oct. 1.

The deadline has been postponed until May 3, 2023, for Wisconsin and all other states. Officials said the new delay is due to the pandemic, which is making it harder for people to get into state motor vehicle departments and get the new IDs. Fewer than 50 percent of Americans have obtained their REAL ID.

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security initially postponed the enforcement date for REAL ID from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, in response to COVID-19.

"Extending the Real ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver's licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a Real ID-compliant license or identification card," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement.

Real ID compliant cards are issued after a more thorough check of an applicant's identification and incorporate new security features that make them harder to counterfeit. Under the Real ID Act, passed by Congress after the 9/11 attacks of 2001, travelers 18 or older wanting to board an airplane by using a driver's license for identification must have one that conforms with the law's stricter requirements.

How to Apply

REAL ID driver's licenses and state identification cards have a gold star in the top right corner to indicate they comply with federal rules.

Real ID will be eventually be necessary for domestic air travel and for getting onto military bases or secure federal facilities.

To obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, you must present additional documentation when you apply. Original document or certified copy (not a photocopy, fax or scan) from each category is required. Some documents may be used for more than one category, whereas some will only satisfy the requirements of a single category. The document categories include:

• Proof of Name and Date of Birth
• Proof of Legal Presence in the U.S.
• Proof of Identity
• Proof of Name Change (if applicable)
• Proof of Address (two forms)
• Provide your Social Security Number

If a Wisconsin resident plans to visit a Wisconsin DMV, officials are reassuring residents that DMV staff are dedicated to maintaining a clean and safe environment for customers to complete their DMV business.

The REAL ID has to be applied for in person.

One helpful tip officials are recommending is to reduce your time in DMV, by starting the paperwork online.

A REAL ID or other identification such as a passport will be required to board an airplane come May 3, 2023.

REAL IDs are optional and are not needed to drive or vote. But in addition to needing it for a domestic flight, you'll need the REAL ID to enter a federal building or military installation if you don't have a passport or military ID card.

Mark Hand, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.