After years of delays, the major Real ID deadline in the U.S. is set to arrive in 2025 -- and that won't be the only big license change coming next year in Illinois.
The May 2025 Real ID deadline remained in place as of December, though the deadline has repeatedly been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Once the deadline arrives, travelers will need a Real ID to travel domestically, with some exceptions.
Beyond that, other changes are coming for drivers in Illinois next year, including a big change to expiration dates and how licenses are distributed.
Here's what to know:
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.
"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.
Who needs a Real ID and where?
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.
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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.
Why do you need a Real ID?
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.
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 to get a Real ID?
To apply for a Real ID in Illinois you'll need te 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 other license changes are in store for Illinois in 2025?
Among hundreds of new laws taking effect in 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.
In addition to mobile driver's licenses, the Secretary of State’s office will be required to offer applicants the option to be issued an eight-year driver’s license within the next two years under a new law taking effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
