The Real ID deadline is approaching. How to check if your Texas driver’s license is compliant
If you are flying in the spring of 2025 and do not have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, you will need one. The Department of Homeland Security will begin enforcing this requirement for air travel on May 7, 2025.
The act was originally supposed to begin in 2023. However, the enforcement extension was compelled by the backlogs state licensing agencies experienced in processing documents because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But the time is finally here. Do not wait any longer to get your Real ID-compliant driver’s license in Texas. Here’s what to do.
How do I know my Texas driver’s license is Real ID-compliant?
Your current Texas driver license or ID is Real ID-compliant if it has a gold star in the top right corner.
If it doesn’t have a gold star, you’ll get the gold star on your next renewal or you can request a replacement card.
How do I get a Real ID-compliant license in Texas?
You can apply for a new Real ID-compliant Texas driver’s license or ID in-person at a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office. You may be eligible to renew your existing Texas driver’s license or ID online.
You can still use your current, unexpired Texas driver’s license or identification card to drive and for non-federal ID purposes. When it’s time to renew your driver’s license or identification card, you’ll get one that is Real ID-compliant.
What you need to apply for a Real ID-compliant driver’s license in Texas
An original or certified copy of a birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport
Social Security card
Current Texas vehicle registration or title
Current car insurance policy or car insurance statement
If your name changed, you need legal documents showing proof of your name change from your birth name
What is the Real ID Act?
The law establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards – including anti-counterfeiting technology, preventing insider fraud, and using documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.
Congress passed the law in 2005 in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation.
Every traveler 18 years or older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, state-issued enhanced driver’s license, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification at airport security checkpoints for domestic air travel starting May 7, 2025.
All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.