The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline an additional two years, from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025.
With this extension, current standard Illinois driver’s licenses or ID cards will continue to be accepted at airports for domestic air travel until the 2025 deadline.
First-time REAL ID applicants are required by DHS to visit a Driver Services facility in person. Not everyone needs a REAL ID, and in Illinois, the Secretary of State’s office gives Illinoisans a choice.
A valid U.S. passport is a compliant REAL ID document; therefore, those with valid U.S. passports do not necessarily need a REAL ID.
As of Dec. 1, 2022, the Illinois Secretary of State’s office has issued more than 3 million REAL IDs.