Is Your ID Travel-Ready? Real ID Deadline Hits

Starting today, the TSA began enforcing the federal Real ID law for anyone flying inside the U.S.

If you want to board a domestic flight and don’t have a passport or other approved ID, you now need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license — one with a gold star in the corner.

Starting TODAY, May 7, you will need a Real ID to fly. Real IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists.

If you plan to fly, make sure you get a Real ID so you won’t face travel delays! pic.twitter.com/5Q95SK4a17

— Secretary Kristi Noem (@Sec_Noem) May 7, 2025

This law has been a long time coming.

Congress passed it back in 2005 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The idea was to fix the sloppy patchwork of state ID rules.

At the time, some of the 9/11 hijackers had no trouble getting legal U.S. driver’s licenses — even though they were planning an attack. The government wanted to make sure that couldn’t happen again.

So, Real ID was born.

Under the new rules, you have to prove you’re really you: with a birth certificate, proof of residency, and legal presence in the country.

The license itself has added security features to stop fakes and fraud. And states now share info across borders to catch criminals who try to game the system.

Supporters, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, say this is a big win for public safety.

“Real IDs are harder to fake,” Noem said in a video from the airport. “They help stop terrorists and criminals from slipping through the cracks.”

But not everyone’s cheering.

A Good Idea with Some Big Government Baggage

Let’s be honest: Most conservatives want strong national security. We don’t want terrorists boarding planes or criminals gaming the system.

So on that front, Real ID makes sense.

It also stops illegal immigrants from getting official IDs that could be used to get jobs, benefits, or government services.

That’s a big plus in the eyes of many Americans who are tired of the double standards when it comes to the law.

Jessica Vaughan from the Center for Immigration Studies put it this way: “States giving look-alike licenses to illegals undermines national security and hands out benefits to people who shouldn’t be here.”

But here’s where things get tricky.

Real ID might improve security, but it also comes with a heavy dose of red tape.

More Rules, More Cost, Less Freedom?

To get a Real ID, you have to show up at the DMV in person, with multiple documents. That’s a problem for seniors, veterans, and folks in rural areas. Others just don’t have the time, transportation, or extra cash to jump through all the hoops.

And speaking of cash — this isn’t cheap.

While the government won’t say exactly how much the Real ID program has cost, estimates range from $10 billion to over $23 billion nationally. Some states have spent hundreds of millions upgrading systems, hiring staff, and printing new cards.

All of it pushed by Washington without much help paying for it.

Others worry it’s the beginning of a national ID card — something most Americans have long rejected.

Real ID isn’t technically a national card, but critics say it’s close enough: a federally enforced standard that states have to follow, or else.

And then there’s privacy.

Real ID licenses have a machine-readable zone that stores personal data — and that info gets shared between states. Critics warn this creates a giant database that could be hacked or abused.

So Where Do We Go from Here?

Right now, the TSA says about 81% of travelers already have Real ID or another approved ID, like a passport.

So the airports aren’t melting down — yet.

For now, travelers without a Real ID may still get through with extra screening or backup documents.

But by May 2027, that grace period ends. No Real ID, no flying.

For conservatives, this is a balancing act. We want secure borders and safe skies. But we also want less government, not more.

Real ID checks one box — but it might also open the door to problems we’ll be dealing with for years.