The scheme, which was due to start in May 2023, will no longer take effect until May 7, 2025. This is the third time the deadline has been extended. Travelers enter a new Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening area during the grand opening of the Terminal 1 expansion at Los Angeles International Airport, June 4, 2021. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images, FILE The REAL ID deadline was first delayed a year from October 1, 2020 to October 1, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was then extended for another 19 months from 1 October 2021 to 3 May 2023. The new identification rules state that every flyer over the age of 18 must have a REAL ID driver’s license or other federally approved ID if they are going to fly domestically. “DHS continues to work closely with US states, the District of Columbia and US territories to meet REAL ID requirements,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement about the latest delay. “This extension will give states the time they need to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and affordable. We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.” This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
