After years of delays, it appears the 2025 Real ID deadline may be here to stay, but officials are warning Illinois residents not to wait until the last minute to get an ID.
The May 2025 Real ID deadline remains in place as of January, though the deadline has repeatedly been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 after the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report in an effort to increase security of identification documents, making them more difficult to duplicate.
Once the deadline arrives, travelers will need a Real ID to travel domestically, with some exceptions.
The Illinois Secretary of State's office warned of the potential for a rush in applicants just before the deadline, but noted that it is prepared to field requests.
"A last-minute surge in demand for REAL IDs at Illinois DMVs is certainly a possibility in the absence of proper preparation," a spokesperson told NBC Chicago this week. "However, the Secretary of State’s office has launched a concerted marketing and partnership campaign to drive REAL ID applications to ensure that all residents are aware of the deadline. The office has launched a traditional media and social media campaign while partnering with TSA, the travel industry and educational institutions to encourage all residents who need a REAL ID to apply early to ensure they meet the deadline."
So what are the requirements to get a Real ID and what should you know before the deadline arrives?
Here's a breakdown:
When is the Real ID deadline?
Beginning on May 7, 2025, Real ID-compliant identification will be required for residents who plan to fly domestically.
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"For Illinois residents who fly domestically, effective May 7, 2025, the federal government will require you to use a valid U.S. passport or obtain a REAL ID from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. If you have a valid U.S. passport or passport card, military ID or other federally approved identification, you may continue to use it as your form of identification after May 7, 2025," the Illinois Secretary of State's office said.
Where will you need a Real ID?
In addition to domestic flights, Real IDs will also be required when entering federal and state facilities, including courthouses and prisons. They will also be needed to enter secure facilities like nuclear power plants.
All residents 18 and older who intend to fly domestically or enter these types of facilities will be required to obtain Real ID-compliant cards.
How much does a Real ID cost?
The cost of a REAL ID is the same as a standard license, according to officials.
Where can you get a Real ID?
The cards can be obtained at Secretary of State’s Office locations, though many will require appointments to present materials needed to get the identification.
Already in Illinois, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said his office was stepping up efforts to ensure that residents get REAL ID-compliant identification prior to next year’s deadline, and acknowledged there are concerns about the slow pace of obtaining the cards.
In a wide-ranging interview with NBC Chicago’s Kye Martin in May, Giannoulias said his office is working to ease the flood of applicants he expects will occur prior to the May 7 deadline next year, but that progress has been slow.
“We feel pressure. We are tremendously concerned about what happens next May, and that’s why we’re out there now a year ahead of time trying to convince people of the importance of getting this done before the last minute,” he said. Our facilities will swell up, and it will be a problem if people don’t get out and get their REAL ID’s.”
What do you need to bring with you to get a Real ID?
To apply for a Real ID in Illinois you'll need the following items, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's office:
- Proof of identity and U.S. citizenship or lawful status. Bring in one of the following documents: an original or certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate; a U.S. passport or passport card; an Employment Authorization Document, Form I-766; a Permanent Resident Card, Form I-551; or an unexpired foreign passport with affixed visa and approved Form I-94. For a complete list, please view the Acceptable Identification Documents Chart.
- Proof of full Social Security number (SSN). Bring in one of the following documents: a Social Security card; W-2; pay stub or printed electronic deposit receipt bearing your name and full SSN; SSA-1099 Form; or Non-SSA-1099 Form. Original documents are required.
- Two (2) residency documents. This includes documents such as a utility bill, rental agreement, mortgage bill or medical document. Hard copy documents are required. Images from a cellphone are not accepted, but you may print the image (ex: bank statement) and provide the printed copy. For a complete list, please view the Acceptable Identification Documents Chart.
- Proof of signature. This includes documents such as credit/debit card, cancelled check or current Illinois DL/ID. For a complete list, please view the Acceptable Identification Documents Chart.
How will the deadline be enforced?
A recent proposal from the Transportation Security Administration in September could delay full enforcement, but whether or not it will get approved remains to be seen.
The plan would delay the full enforcement of REAL ID for another two years, but also warns of delays at airport security checkpoints for those who do not have a compliant ID.
"Travelers without a REAL ID compliant ID or another form of acceptable ID after the May 7, 2025 deadline could face delays at airport security checkpoints," the agency said in a release, noting the potential for warnings or possibly "progressive consequences" for those without a compliant ID.
The department proposed plans for a "phased enforcement approach."
“TSA is engaging with the public, licensing jurisdictions and states to facilitate a smooth transition to REAL ID enforcement beginning May 7, 2025,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “REAL ID provides an important security enhancement, and this rule allows us to plan for a range of scenarios to help minimize the potential impact to travelers, industry stakeholders and states during implementation.”
What exactly the "phased approach" would look like remains undecided.
One example offered by TSA would allow agencies to issue "warning notices" that would act like a "three-strikes" system to "enable agencies to begin enforcement without immediately denying access to individuals with noncompliant identification on the card-based enforcement deadline."
"Agencies may choose to refer to the notice issued to an individual presenting a noncompliant card for the first time as a 'warning' and a notice issued on a subsequent instance counting against that individual's limit as 'counseling.' Upon the third instance, the individual would be issued a 'final' notification that their State-issued DL/ID is noncompliant and can no longer be used for the REAL ID official purpose," the TSA proposal states. "The Federal agency would deny access to the individual at that time and on all future instances unless the individual obtains a REAL ID or presents an alternative, acceptable form of identification."
The agency said the proposal stems from fears over what could happen if they must deny entry to those not complying starting in 2025.
"There is a real possibility of disruptions," TSA said in its proposal.
The concerns include fears of a surge in people needing REAL ID's, which would then lead to a back-up from state facilities, as well as issues at security checkpoints.
What about a digital ID? Will that count?
Among hundreds of new laws now in effect for 2025 across the state is HB 4592, which allows the Secretary of State to issue mobile ID cards and driver’s licenses.
The mobile ID's will be issued "in addition to" standard licenses, but not in replace of.
While the state specifies that drivers will still want to keep a physical copy of their ID on them for times where mobile ID's aren't accepted, they also note that they will work with other agencies to ensure use of mobile ID's is widely accepted.
When it comes to traveling, the TSA does accept mobile ID's in many situations, but it notes that "if a digital ID cannot be verified at the TSA security checkpoint, a passenger must use an acceptable physical identity document."
The TSA also stated that the Real ID Act applies to state-issued mobile driver's licenses and ID cards.
Still, as of Tuesday, the Secretary of State's office said it was still beginning the "process of developing digital driver's licenses and state ID cards in Illinois."
"The office’s first step will be to develop the highest standards of security and conduct rigorous testing to ensure that residents’ sensitive information and privacy are protected," the office said in a release. "The office will take advantage of best practices from states that have already introduced digital IDs and leverage new technology to implement the best and most state-of-the-art digital ID program in the nation."
