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California DMVs expand hours ahead of REAL ID deadline

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Published  April 14, 2025 2:59pm PDT
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KTVU FOX 2

The Brief

    • DMVs are opening one hour early to accommodate the approaching REAL ID deadline, May, 7.
    • Extended hours are by-appointment only, and only for REAL ID appointments.
    • The REAL ID law was passed in 2005, in response the September 11 attacks.

OAKLAND, Calif. - The deadline requiring a REAL ID to board a domestic flight is fast approaching, and two Bay Area DMVs are extending their hours to help residents in need.

Starting May 7, all travelers older than 18 will need a REAL ID or another federally-approved form of identification to board a domestic flight or enter certain federal facilities.

Starting Monday DMV offices in Pleasanton, Fremont and 16 other locations in California will open at 7 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Those early hours will only be available through appointment, and are reserved for REAL ID applicants. The extended hours will last through June 27.

Californians can apply for a REAL ID by visiting REALID.dmv.ca.gov, completing the online application and uploading the necessary documents — one for proof of identity, such as a passport, birth certificate, or permanent resident card, and two for proof of residence, such as a utility or cell phone bill, insurance documents, or a mortgage, among others.

The 18 DMVs throughout the state that are expanding their hours are:

  • Pleasanton (6300 W. Las Positas Blvd.)
  • Fremont (4287 Central Ave.)
  • Folsom (323 E. Bidwell St., Suite A)
  • Carmichael (5209 North Ave.)
  • Thousand Oaks (1810 E. Avenida De Los Arboles)
  • Van Nuys (14920 Vanowen St.)
  • Arleta (14400 Van Nuys Blvd.)
  • Glendale (1335 W. Glenoaks Blvd.)
  • Pasadena (49 S. Rosemead Blvd.)
  • Culver City (11400 W. Washington Blvd.)
  • Westminster (13700 Hoover St.)
  • Costa Mesa (650 W. 19th St.)
  • San Clemente (2727 Via Cascadita)
  • Rancho Cucamonga (8629 Hellman Ave.)
  • San Diego Clairemont (4375 Derrick Drive)
  • San Marcos (590 Rancheros Drive)
  • El Cajon (1450 Graves Ave.)
  • Poway (13461 Community Road)

Years in the making

The backstory:

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 in response to the September 11 attacks. The 9/11 commission found it was too easy for people to obtain driver's licenses, and called for ID requirements to be raised and nationally standardized. The law was originally scheduled to be enforced in 2008, but multiple states protested on the basis of cost or privacy issues. It was in 2020 that all 50 states, including the District of Columbia, began issuing REAL ID-compliant licenses and IDs.

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