U.S. again delays deadline for Real IDs, until May 2025

U.S. officials are delaying for 2 much years the enforcement of a regularisation requiring radical to get caller recognition cards to committee home flights, entree national facilities oregon participate atomic plants.

The Department of Homeland Security said Monday the Real ID Act volition not beryllium enforced until May 2025, marking the latest postponement for the rule. The regularisation had astir precocious been slated to spell into effect successful May 2023.

The bureau cited "the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic," arsenic partially liable for the continued delay. It noted that the pandemic made it much hard for radical to get licenses oregon recognition cards that are Real ID-compliant.

The Real ID Act, passed successful 2005 successful the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, violent attacks, enhanced the information standards indispensable for driver's licenses and different recognition cards to beryllium accepted for definite activities, specified arsenic boarding planes. Real IDs tin beryllium identified by a prima successful the right-hand country of a driver's licence oregon recognition card.

"This hold volition springiness states needed clip to guarantee their residents tin get a Real ID-compliant licence oregon recognition card. DHS volition besides usage this clip to instrumentality innovations to marque the process much businesslike and accessible," said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas successful a property release.

Enforcement of the Real ID regularisation has been repeatedly delayed since the archetypal 2008 deadline. It was slated to spell into effect successful October 2020, but past the deadline was pushed backmost to October 2021 aft states pressured the national government for an hold owed to Covid pandemic obstacles. That deadline ne'er kicked successful to gear either, and officials again pushed backmost enforcement until May 2023.

On Monday, DHS updated its countdown to the caller day connected its website.