Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
That’s the deadline to get your REAL ID if you want to fly hassle-free – and they really, really mean it this time.
The REAL ID is a type of ID that confirms your identity and lawful presence in the US, and it’s something you may need in order to fly after the seventh day of May. And to do other things as well.
One big problem, of course, is that May is right around the corner and, if you’ve visited the DMV website to make an appointment to get your REAL ID, you will almost always see the following in every North Carolina county: “We’re sorry, we don’t have availability at this moment.”
It seems hard to imagine – with so many people still lacking a Real ID (and after so many extensions of the deadline in past years) – that May 7 is going to be the real deadline for the Real ID but it’s better to be safe than to be sorry.
The good news for some people is that a passport or a global entry card can be used to fly in place of a REAL ID.
Also, according to state officials, “An individual without a REAL ID or US passport may still be able to board flights …but they may have to provide additional documentation with their traditional license or ID.”
If you need to pick up a REAL ID card for flying before the 7th, the good news is that some DMV offices allow walk-in service at certain times of the day, and there’s also a rumor going around that there could be a “three-strikes rule” that allows someone to fly a few times without a real ID after the deadline. However, that’s just a rumor.
The ID is not only for flying: Starting on May 7, 2025, federal agencies will enforce the REAL ID Act, which requires a REAL ID, US passport or another federally approved identification in order to enter secure federal buildings.
The North Carolina Real ID is a REAL ID Act-compliant driver’s license that’s identical to a traditional license or ID with the exception that it has a star at the top of the card.
According to information from the state, driver’s licenses and IDs without a star are noted as “Not for Federal Purposes.”
You won’t need a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card to drive or vote or apply for or receive federal benefits from, for example, Veterans Affairs offices or the Social Security Administration.
State officials note that a REAL ID “might be helpful” for anyone who frequently:
- Boards a commercial airplane
- Visits nuclear sites
- Visits military bases
- Visits federal courthouses, federal prisons or other federal facilities.
With the deadline approaching, Piedmont Triad International Airport put out the following press release on Wednesday, April 16: “PTI is reminding all travelers that beginning May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will begin enforcing the REAL ID requirement at all airport security checkpoints nationwide. This means travelers must present a REAL ID-compliant form of identification or another TSA-accepted ID to board federally regulated commercial aircraft.”
The release adds, “TSA has announced that passengers without a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative ID may be subject to additional screening and potential travel delays and may not be allowed to proceed through security checkpoints.”
Here’s how to tell if you already have a REAL ID: They’re typically marked with the star at the top of the card.
For information about obtaining a North Carolina REAL ID, you should be sure you have the proper documentation and visit the NC Division of Motor Vehicles. Check online to make sure you have everything you need before making a trip down there. You can visit TSA.gov/real-id for complete guidance.
If you don’t have a REAL ID, you can use one of the following alternative forms of identification:
- US passport or passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- US Department of Defense ID (including IDs issued to dependents)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
A complete list of acceptable identifications can be found online.
PTI Airport also recommends that flyers do the following:
- Check the expiration date on their ID well before their travel date.
- Arrive early, especially if unsure whether their ID is compliant.
Only time I can get is June 6, earliest time, in Kernersville Could have gotten earlier in Charlotte. Nothing in the Greensboro area.
Everyone had several years to get one. You snooze you lose…
More of the people–whoever they were–who planned 9/11 getting their way.
This has been in the works for years. But over that time, it has become apparent that “secure data storage” is not really ……well…..secure. Now we are being herded into a position where all the pertinent information required to be a master fraudster will be gathered and stored in one single place. I realize that most of this information is already out there. But it sure seems what we are doing is consolidating it all in one place, so the fraudsters need not work so hard. I have a feeling this is not going to turn out well for some of us.
“Your documents are scanned into the NCDMV’s secure database during the application process. Scanned documents typically include your proof of identity (e.g., birth certificate or passport), Social Security number (e.g., Social Security card or W-2), proof of residency (e.g., utility bills), and any name change documents (e.g., marriage certificate). The REAL ID Act does not explicitly set a federal standard for how long states must store identification data, leaving retention periods to state discretion. Based on available information, states maintain their own databases for driver’s licenses and IDs, and retention policies vary. For example, some states may retain data for the duration of the ID’s validity (typically 5-8 years), while others may keep it longer for administrative or law enforcement purposes”.
Thank you, Scott, for this thoughtful and timely article. Fortunately, I got mine a few months ago when it was convenient, fast and easy.
It’s unfortunate that not even a “conservative” news site mentions that Real ID is nothing but another step toward the United States becoming a totalitarian police state, using artificially amplified fears of terror attacks as the motivator to get us to comply. As with all such mandates, Real ID will eventually experience “mission creep” and we’ll be forced to have one to ride a train, the subway, to open a bank account, and maybe even to cross state lines in cars during a made-up “national emergency”. Because once freedom is given up, you never get it back. You only have more taken away.
Well said, tim.
The Rhino Times is no longer a conservative news outlet.
Not true Austin. Also, this is a strange story to put that comment on. Is there something political about the Real ID?
The problem is that it’s almost impossible just to get your license renewed. You can’t do it online if you did last time. It’s a complete nightmare!