Flying this summer? You may need a Real ID
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Minnesota's Real IDs, like the sample shown above, have a yellow star icon in the upper corner. Image: Courtesy of DVS
With one month to go until new rules for domestic flights are scheduled to take effect, barely 40% of Minnesotans have a Real ID-compliant license.
Why it matters: Residents without an ID that meets the updated airport security standards could be grounded for summer air travel.
Driving the news: Starting May 7, residents 18 and older will need one of the enhanced licenses or identification cards — or an alternative acceptable form of ID like a passport — to board a commercial flight.
What we're hearing: Minnesota's Driver and Vehicle Services says demand for Real IDs has picked up as the deadline nears, lengthening the turnaround time for new applications to 45 days.
- The agency told Axios it processed 69,000 more applications between January and March of 2025 than it did during the same period last year.
How we got here: Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, seeking to beef up security surrounding IDs used at airports.
- The law was scheduled to be enforced in 2008 but has been delayed several times.
Zoom in: Compliant IDs that meet the new security requirements are typically marked with a star in the upper right corner. Starting next month, you'll also need one to:
- 🪖 Visit a military base or a secure federal building like a courthouse.
- ☢️ Enter nuclear power plants.
Yes but: You don't need a Real ID to drive, vote or open a bank account.
Plus: Children under 18 generally don't need to provide identification when traveling within the country.
Between the lines: Not everyone needs or wants one of these new licenses, given that documents like passports, border crossing cards and tribal and military IDs can also be used to fly.
- "Many people have compliant documents that are not REAL IDs and they never intend to get one," DVS spokesperson Erin Johnson told Axios on why the state never anticipated near-universal compliance.
If you do still need one: Fill out the pre-application online and book an appointment or walk in at a DVS location that processes these enhanced IDs.
- Additional documentation is required for the application, so double check the list of acceptable residency paperwork before you arrive.
What's next: Travelers without the right ID may be able to go through an identification verification process at the airport, TSA says, but they should anticipate long lines, delays and extra screenings.
- Once the deadline hits, TSA recommends that "individuals without acceptable identification arrive at least three hours in advance of their flight time."
The bottom line: "The message we're really trying to get out is for people to plan ahead if they know they're traveling this summer or beyond, because increased demand is creating an increase in processing times," Johnson said.
Go deeper: Time is running out to get a Real ID ahead of May 7 deadline