Get Ready: REAL ID Travel Rules Take Effect in May 2025!

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Following multiple delays, passengers will be required to possess a REAL ID for domestic flights beginning May 7, 2025.

A REAL ID is a state-issued ID or driver’s license featuring a gold star located in the upper right corner. From May 7, 2025, travelers will need this star to board domestic flights, access certain federal buildings, and enter nuclear power plants.

TV9 conversed with Jessica Mayle, the regional representative for the Transportation Security Administration, who explained that the star allows TSA agents to swiftly verify a person’s compliance with REAL ID. The TSA emphasizes that the REAL ID Act, established following the 9/11 attacks, defines minimum security requirements for state IDs and driver’s licenses to facilitate smoother boarding of flights, entry into federal properties, and access to nuclear facilities.

“Our goal is to ensure that those presenting themselves at the checkpoint are indeed the individuals depicted on their IDs,” Mayle stated. “We aimed for a unified standard to guarantee accuracy since ID verification is a crucial element of TSA’s responsibility — ensuring we are aware of who these individuals are before they reach the checkpoint and board the aircraft.”

REAL ID Deadline: Essential Information

• Your driver’s license or ID card must meet REAL ID standards by May 7, 2025, which means it should feature the gold star.
• If a REAL ID is not acquired by that date, an alternative form of ID, like a passport, will be necessary for boarding domestic flights.
• IDs that do not comply are still valid for most uses; however, after the May 7 deadline, the Iowa DOT has stated they won’t be accepted for flights or access to federal properties.

Required Documents for REAL ID

• One document verifying identity and date of birth
• One document displaying your Social Security number
• Two documents confirming Iowa residency and address

As reported last month, the Iowa DOT indicated that 73.5% of Iowans possess a REAL ID, with 8 out of 10 individuals traveling domestically already having one. Mayle mentioned that the TSA is anticipated to provide additional information on how it will enforce REAL ID stipulations by the end of January.

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