A law passed in 2005 is coming into effect in October of 2020.. The federal law, the Real ID Act, concerns air travel for all American citizens and may make travelers take an extra step to get to their destination. The Real ID Act states that travelers will need a different ID, which is called “The Real ID” or their passport to fly, even to destinations in the United States. For  most citizens, state drivers licences will be compliant with the ‘Real ID’ regulations.

The states that will not be complaint are, Organ, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Kentucky, Maine and California. For all of the states, except California, will be an extension. An extinction means that they will be allowed more time to make drivers licence compatible with the ‘Real ID’ regulations. California is still under review by the federal government.

When citizens from states with compliant licences are applying for a drivers licence, they will need to show one proof of identity, one proof of their social security number, two proofs of residency, and proof of a name change, if needed. The drivers license will look a somewhat different going forward to show that they are compatible, but the end goal is to make travel easier and safer for citizens.

The Department of Health states that “[the ID is a] vital component to our national security framework.” They hope to decrease the chance of future terrorist attacks through air travel.