Do You Have Your REAL ID? The Deadline Is Fast Approaching

It is actually happening this time. The new REAL ID requirement will be enforced by the Department of Homeland Security.

Every American traveler 18 years of age and older will need to provide a state-issued, enhanced driver's license or identification card, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification.

The 9/11 terrorist attacks spurred a push by Congress to update the minimum standards for driver's licenses and state IDs in order to strengthen security on flights and government facilities.

The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005, but it took federal and state governments a long time to coordinate the planning and production of these documents to meet the upgraded federal standards.

The REAL ID requirement's enforcement deadline has been pushed back many times. It is time to move if you haven't applied for one yet.

The REAL ID Act has made all 50 states and the District of Columbia compliant with security standards for driver's licenses and identification cards.

It's important that you request a REAL ID from your state's Department of Motor Vehicles, since the states are still allowed to issue driver's licenses and ID cards that aren't REAL ID documents.

It is important to verify that you are getting the new REAL ID, as the enhanced cards themselves don't look much different from the old driver's licenses and their appearance will vary in accordance with the style of the state that's issuing them.

Only California has a gold, black or white star in the upper right-hand corner of the card.

In order to pass through the airport checkpoint with a REAL ID or another acceptable and valid form of identification, Americans with PreCheck or CLEAR will need to provide a REAL ID or another acceptable and valid form of identification.

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