REAL ID Effective Date Delayed Until May 3, 2023
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The Department of Homeland Security is extending the REAL ID full enforcement date from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Department cited the pandemic’s impact on states’ ability to issue REAL ID-compliant driver’s licensing agencies as reason for the delay.
Due to the change, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card, or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to board a domestic commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID beginning May 3, 2023.
REAL IDs are now available to Pennsylvanians who want them. To learn more about whether you need a REAL ID and how to obtain one from the state Department of Transportation, click here.