Department of Homeland Security pushes REAL ID deadline to 2023

The federal government is delaying the deadline for the REAL ID enforcement for a second time.

The federal government is delaying the deadline for the REAL ID enforcement for a second time. Every domestic air traveler 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver's license or another TSA-acceptable form of identification beginning on May 3, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday. The original deadline of Oct. 1, 2020, was postponed for one year due to the pandemic. The second delay is also "due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," according to the DHS press release. "The pandemic has significantly impacted states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, with many driver’s licensing agencies still operating at limited capacity," the release states.