REAL ID Update: Most U.S. Driver’s Licenses Will Be Acceptable for Domestic Air Travel By January 22 Deadline

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At a glance

• Driver’s licenses and state identification cards from all U.S. states and territories except American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands will be acceptable for domestic air travel on and after January 22, 2018.

• Travelers holding a driver’s license or ID from American Samoa or the Northern Mariana Islands must present an acceptable alternative ID for domestic air travel, unless DHS grants extensions by January 22.

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The situation

Driver’s licenses and ID cards from all U.S. states and territories except American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands should be accepted for U.S. domestic air travel as of January 22, the REAL ID Act compliance deadline. In recent days, the Department of Homeland Security granted compliance extensions to Louisiana, Michigan and New York, the last three states under REAL ID review.

State REAL ID compliance status

The following is the current REAL ID compliance status of all U.S. state and territories to date:

• Full compliance: Driver’s licenses and ID cards from the following states are acceptable to board U.S. domestic flights without restriction: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

• Compliance extension: The driver’s licenses and ID cards of the following states and territories are acceptable for domestic air travel through October 10, 2018: Alaska, California, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and Washington State.

• Under review: DHS is still considering whether to grant a compliance extension to American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands. Individuals holding a driver’s license or ID card from these jurisdictions must have an acceptable alternate document for domestic air travel, unless DHS grants an extension by January 22. Affected travelers should monitor the Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID Act compliance map for updates, because DHS could grant an extension at a later date.

   

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.