Have A Flight Coming Up And No Real Id? How To Get One Before The Deadline

REAL ID guide: What it is and how to get yours

REAL ID is becoming the nationwide standard for state-issued identification. Don't wait. Learn how to get yours.

Twenty years in the making, the 2005 REAL ID Act is finally going into effect on May 7.

The act, passed amid other increasingly tight security measures following 9/11, established that Americans would need identification that met "minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards."

It also prohibited federal agencies from accepting identification from states that did not meet those standards, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 

Actual implementation of the regulations ultimately took two decades, hitting several road bumps along the way. Now that enforcement is soon to begin, however, those who do not secure a compliant ID in time will soon be unable to enter federal facilities or board domestic flights.

Have a flight coming up and no REAL ID on hand? Here's what to know about trying to get one in a pinch.

Yes. Travelers must have a REAL ID to fly domestically on or after May 7, 2025.

After the deadline passes, travelers can use acceptable alternative forms of ID, including passports, military IDs, tribal nation and Indian tribe IDs or an Enhanced Driver’s License (only available in Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York and Vermont) for domestic travel.

Procedures are different between states, so it's important to check your local requirements. Often, getting a REAL ID will require you to go to your local DMV with the proper documents and complete the process in person. This usually involves providing an agency employee with your papers, filling out a form, answering questions, paying a fee and for some, taking a fresh photo.

Because states are handling the process individually, your ability to obtain a REAL ID on the fly will vary widely.

If you need an in-person appointment, additional documents or live in a densely populated area, your timeline may be different than those who can begin the process online, walk in without an appointment or live in less populated areas.

Some states, like Texas, provide a resource to check how long your wait could be in advance. Getting an appointment in Alpine, for example, would only take about two to three days as of April 28, versus Bastrop, which had a 43 to 44-day wait time. Comparing appointment availability and in-office wait time of several local driver's license/ID offices could help you find a location with a quicker turnaround time.

Some states are spreading the labor not only between offices but are meeting Americans outside of the DMV, such as the April 27 annual New York International Auto Show in Manhattan, where staff were on site processing REAL ID applications.

Others, such as New Jersey, have created protocols specifically for getting people with upcoming travel plans their new IDs quickly.

The state's "REAL ID Emergency Issuance Program" launched on April 24, is for "qualified customers who need to board a domestic flight within 14 days for life-or-death reasons or for urgent travel plans and do not have an acceptable form of identification to clear TSA checkpoints," according to a New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission press release.

If all else fails, check the (relatively long) list of acceptable alternative forms of ID to use in the meantime.

Travelers will need to show documents with the following in order to get a REAL ID-compliant license or ID, per the DHS:

• Proof of identity: A U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) if you are a non-U.S. citizen.
• Proof of a Social Security number: A Social Security card, Form W-2, pay stub or paycheck from your job that confirms this information.
• Proof of residency: A deed, mortgage statement, lease agreement, utility bill, or bank statement to prove you are a state resident will be required by some DMVs.

"States may impose additional requirements, so check with your state’s driver’s licensing agency website, before visiting them in person, for additional guidance and assistance," the DHS said on its website.

At minimum, you will be required to show documents proving your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of address and lawful status.

Rules for obtaining a REAL ID vary from state to state. In some states, such as Pennsylvania,  California, New York and Virginia, people seeking a REAL ID can prequalify or apply online, then complete the process in person.

Some states, like Texas, Michigan and Oklahoma, complete the entire process in person with no online component.

The time it takes to receive a REAL ID will depend on the state issuing it. In some, you will have to wait for an appointment, while others may allow walk-ins but at the cost of extra-long lines.

Regardless, DMVs across the country have been experiencing long wait times and congestion as people rush to get theirs before the deadline.

"If you need a REAL ID-compliant credential for an upcoming trip, please allow enough time before to receive your hard copy in the mail," Tennessee's Department of Safety and Homeland Security said on its website, for example. "The hard copy will arrive in 10-20 days at the mailing address you provided."

In New York City, two USA TODAY reporters found that the soonest available appointments to get a REAL ID were more than a month away as of April 28.

Connecticut’s Department of Motor Vehicles, meanwhile, advises residents that hard copies will arrive "within 20 business days" of their appointment.

Contributing: James Powel, Nathan Diller, USA TODAY