Procrastinators beware: it’s time to get a Real ID license.
The federal government is requiring people to present Real IDs to get through airport security or access federal facilities, starting May 7.
After delays totaling more than 20 years, the federal government says it’s for real this time.
Around 56 percent of the 9,025,930 Ohioans with driver’s licenses already have Real IDs, according to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Here’s what you need to know.
Who needs a Real ID?
Federal agencies like the Transportation Security Administration say they will only accept state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs that meet Real ID requirements.
But you don’t need a Real ID to board a domestic flight. Passports, passport cards and enhanced driver’s licenses can still be used.
The TSA will also still accept other forms of ID, such as permanent resident cards, Canadian provincial driver’s licenses and several others.
The TSA, however, will no longer accept a standard driver’s license, starting May 7.
How to get one
First of all, check your license to make sure it isn’t already Real ID-compliant. Check on your driver’s license in the top right corner for a star.
If you don’t have a star, follow the steps from the Ohio BMV. You can renew your license online. Just make sure to choose “compliant card” when the prompt appears.
Getting a Real ID doesn’t mean you’ll pay more. The fees associated with renewing driver licenses — whether it’s for four or eight years — apply to both standard and Real ID-compliant cards.
A “first operator” four-year license in Ohio costs $24.50. The eight-year card costs $48. Visit the state’s fee page for other price options.
New cards that are compliant with Real ID will be mailed.
“Printing cards in a high-security environment reduces the potential for fraud and identity theft,” reads the agency’s instructions for obtaining a Real ID license.
Be prepared to provide documents that prove the following:
- Full legal name
- Date of birth
- Legal presence in the U.S.
- Social Security number
- Ohio street address (two documents from different sources)
- Name change, if applicable
What happens if I don’t have one?
If you plan to travel by air, it’s unclear what will happen right away.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said travelers without “a REAL ID-compliant license or acceptable alternative beginning May 7, 2025, will not be permitted through the security checkpoint.”
But the TSA is taking a different approach, adopting a “phased approach” on May 7 and possibly over the next two years. It retained the ability to issue warnings in order to avoid “a serious risk of operational disruption, negative public impact, and potential security vulnerabilities.”
Some TSA security officers may subject travelers to additional screening measures.
But you don’t have to have a Real ID license to drive or vote in Ohio.
Why is this happening?
All 50 states and U.S. territories are now in compliance with federal Real ID requirements. They have been since 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic caused further enforcement delays.
Getting all the states and territories to become compliant took 15 years. The controversial Real ID Act was signed into law in 2005. It followed the 9/11 Commission’s warning that it was too easy to obtain a driver’s license in the U.S.
Part of the reason it took so long was the cost.
The federal government, in 2007, estimated the cost for all states and territories to comply with the law would cost $11 billion.