REAL ID deadline is less than a month away

ID requirement signs at entrance to passenger TSA security area, West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by: Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Following years of postponements, the deadline to get a REAL ID is nearly here, with less than a month left for the new travel identification rules to go into effect.

Starting May 7, a traditional driver's license will not work to get through an airport checkpoint.

Folks will need the upgraded photo identification card, a passport, or other federally approved document to get on flights or to access secure federal facilities like federal courthouses, military bases, and nuclear power plants.

Last-minute crush

The California Department of Motor Vehicles said it’s been bracing for an uptick in activity as people make last-minute plans to apply for a REAL ID.

"The DMV is experiencing an anticipated increase in the number of customers who want to upgrade to a REAL ID as the May 7 federal enforcement deadline approaches," DMV Public Information Officer Ronald Ongtoaboc told KTVU in an email.

The agency told KTVU it has made adjustments to accommodate the extra customers.

Special hours:

On Monday, the DMV announced that the Pleasanton office (at 6300 W. Las Positas Boulevard) and its Fremont office (at 4287 Central Avenue) will open an hour early, at 7:00 a.m., by appointment only.

The special schedule will be in effect from April 14 to June 27, on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, DMV officials told KTVU, adding, "This early hour will be reserved only for REAL ID appointments."

The backstory:

The new deadline will come about 20 years after the REAL ID Act was passed by Congress and signed into law by then-President George W. Bush. The law was established after the September 11th attacks, as part of an effort to make identification cards more secure and establish federal standards for identification documents.

Many states, including California, were initially granted extensions over concerns about implementation.

"The federal REAL ID program has experienced several adjustments to its enforcement deadline," the DMV said, noting it was extended in 2011, 2014, 2017, and then again in 2023.

Earlier this year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) acknowledged the multiple deadline changes may have prompted many people to hold off on getting the REAL ID, leading to a down-to-the-wire scramble ahead of the deadline.

"Because of the history of extensions related to REAL ID enforcement, DHS believes that the public may continue to expect that additional extensions are likely and not feel urgency to obtain a REAL ID," a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) spokesperson told KTVU in an email in January.

By the numbers:

But figures show a solid majority of U.S. travelers have made the upgrade.

"The most current figure for TSA is that 81% approaching airport checkpoints have REAL ID compliant identification credentials," a TSA spokesperson told KTVU on Tuesday.

In California, the figure is not as high.

As of Monday, the REAL ID adoption rate among existing California driver’s license and ID cardholders was 54.81% (or more than 19 million Californians), the DMV told KTVU.

The agency said that last year, the state made steady progress in getting residents signed up, with more than 1.6 million Californians getting upgraded to a REAL ID.

In California, a REAL ID will have a grizzly bear on it with a star.

Starting May 7, 2025, Californians must have a REAL ID or another federally approved document to board domestic flights and access secure federal facilities.

How to apply

To apply for a REAL ID, Californians can begin by going to the DMV's REAL ID site to fill out the online application and upload the required documents.

Starting the application online will help speed up the process, according to the agency.

Applicants must still then go into a DMV office and present their uploaded documents.

In addition to starting the application online, the DMV advised making an appointment or checking wait times at your local office to help expedite the process.

"By starting the process online, it should take only about 15 minutes in the office with an appointment in most cases," DMV officials said.

The agency also suggested making a checklist of the required documents.

What applicants will need

Proof of identity: This document must include your date of birth and your full name (first, middle, and last). It can be an original or certified document like a valid passport or birth certificate.

It should be noted that a legal name change documentation is required if the name on your proof of identity is different from the name on the other documents. (For example: marriage certificate, adoption papers.)

Two different printed documents to prove California residency: Both documents must show your first and last name with the same mailing address that is listed on your REAL ID application.

Examples of those documents include a utility bill, insurance papers, bank statements, a mortgage, or rental agreement with the signature of the owner/landlord and the tenant.

Documents must be original or certified copies and unexpired, unless otherwise noted. The paperwork will be returned once processed by a DMV clerk.

Social Security number (exceptions may apply).

Processing time

"The average processing time for a new REAL ID is currently two weeks after the customer completes all the requirements at a DMV office," the agency told KTVU.

Officials said customers can view the latest processing times on the DMV website.

The agency stressed that Californians who already hold a federally approved identification document, such as a passport or a military ID, can avoid the last-minute crowds and "comfortably wait" to upgrade to a REAL ID when their driver’s license is due for renewal.

Visit the DMV's REAL ID site for a complete list of acceptable documents and a link to the online application.