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DHS extends deadline for air travelers to get REAL ID cards to May of 2023

This undated photo provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue shows Kansas' new driver's license design meant to comply with federal identification requirements for airport security purposes. The new licenses will contain either a gold circle with a white star cutout proving the holder is lawfully in the U.S. and that it is acceptable federal identification, or the words "not for federal ID." The revamped licenses come three years before they are required. (Kansas Department of Revenue via AP)
by: WRTV Staff
Posted: / Updated:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is extending the deadline for air travelers to have REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or identification cards to 2023.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Tuesday that the REAL ID full enforcement date is being extended by 19 months, from Oct. 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023.

Starting on that date, every air traveler 18 years and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card, a state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel.

DHS cited the COVID-19 crisis as the reason for the extension, saying the pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL-ID cards, because driver’s licensing agencies are still operating at limited capacity and many have appointment-only scheduling limits.

As a result of these issues, DHS says only 43% of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are currently REAL ID-compliant.

DHS says it and various states also need time to implement requirements mandated by the REAL ID Modernization Act, including changes that will streamline processing by allowing the electronic submission of certain documents.

“Protecting the health, safety, and security of our communities is our top priority,” wrote Secretary Mayorkas in a statement. “As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the REAL ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.”

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