NORFOLK, Va. — The clock is ticking: Virginia travelers without a passport will now have to have a REAL ID to board an airplane starting May 7, 2025.
Virginia travelers must have an ID-compliant driver's license to board a domestic flight. The driver's license must have a small star in the upper right corner to indicate they meet federal regulations that establish minimum security standards. Regular IDs without the star will not be valid to board an airplane.
“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards,” said Robin “Chuck” Burke with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification."
To get your REAL ID, you’ll need to bring identifying documents to a Department of Motor Vehicles office to prove your residency and U.S. citizenship. Before one delay back in 2020, mobile DMV offices were opened to deal with the influx of customers. Since then, many people have put off making the switch.
According to the latest data released by the DMV, around half of Virginians with driver’s licenses have their REAL ID: about 3.45 million people.
The switch to REAL ID is about consistency and security. With every state having a different form of ID, the REAL ID adds uniformity on a federal level.
It also adds a level of security because of the process you must follow to get one.
For more information and details about how to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card in Virginia, visit the Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles website.