Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem encouraged Americans to get ‘Real IDs’ prior to May 7, and explained that the ID’s would keep the United States safe.
In a video posted on X, Noem explained that beginning on May 7, 2025, people will “need a Real ID to travel by air or to visit federal buildings.”
“If you plan on traveling we need your help to prevent delays and to prove your identity,” Noem explained. “Get a Real ID. Starting May 7th, you will need a Real ID to travel by air or to visit federal buildings in the United States. These ID’s keep our country safe, because they help prevent fraud and they enhance security. Please do your part to protect our country.”
NPR News explained that on May 7, “federal agencies” such as the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) “will accept only state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs that meet Real ID requirements.”
“On that date, federal agencies including the TSA say they will accept only state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs that meet Real ID requirements, which include having applicants provide certain identifying information such as Social Security numbers,” the outlet noted.
While “state-issued driver’s licenses that aren’t Real ID-compliant” won’t be accepted, people can still use “a passport or passport card, an enhanced driver’s licensed issued by some states, a permanent resident card or one of many other forms of ID allowed by the TSA,” according to the outlet.
According to the DHS website‘s frequently asked questions regarding REAL ID’s, The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005, and it “enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.’”
“Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to enhance security standards for identification, directly in response to the security vulnerabilities highlighted by the 9/11 attacks,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a press release from January. “Identity verification is foundational to security. I urge those who use a driver’s license or state-issued identity card as their primary form of identification to access federal facilities or board commercial passenger aircraft, to ensure these credentials are REAL ID-compliant.”
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