The countdown to updating driver's licenses in the United States

Starting May 7, 2025, Americans' driver's licenses or IDs must be updated under new REAL ID-compliant legislation. Americans who do not update their ID by then will no longer be able to use those documents. They will be required for boarding domestic flights and for access to various federal institutions.

The Department of Homeland Security - Department of Homeland Security - is giving all the details so Americans can update their driver's license or ID in time https://www.usa.gov/real-id

Real ID compliance is part of a broader law passed by Congress in 2005 to ensure minimum security standards for the distribution and identification of documents, including driver's licenses. As a result, certain federal authorities, such as the Department of Homeland Security or the Transportation Security Administration, will no longer accept outdated identification documents. The implementation of this measure has been long delayed by various bureaucratic hurdles; it should have taken effect as early as 2020.

The American press reports that those who do not have updated documents according to the new rules, i.e. are REAL ID-compliant, will not be able to board commercial airplanes, will not be able to enter nuclear power plants and will not have access to certain targets. It should be noted that the documents, although up to date, will not be usable for international destinations, i.e. to leave the country.

Americans are urged to go and update their documents. This can be done at local Driver Licensing Agecies. There, a special mark will be applied in the right-hand corner of the document - a driver's license or ID card.