One silver lining

**JABIII** · 03-26-2020, 03:31 PM

Deadline to get a REAL ID pushed back at least a year due to coronavirus
WYFF 4Updated: 1:05 PM EDT Mar 26, 2020
National Desk Staff

The deadline to obtain a REAL ID, federally mandated identification that will be needed for passengers to board aircraft, will be extended until Oct. 1, 2021 — a year past the current deadline, according acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf.

Before the coronavirus outbreak swept across the U.S., states were preparing to issue residents "REAL ID-compliant" driver's licenses or identification by the Oct. 1, 2020 deadline.

"States across the country are temporarily closing or restricting access to DMVs," Wolf's statement read. "This action will preclude millions of people from applying for and receiving their REAL ID. Extending the deadline will also allow the department to work with Congress to implement needed changes to expedite the issuance of REAL IDs once the current health crisis concludes."

As of last month, only about 35% of U.S. IDs complied with the REAL ID Act, a post-9/11 law that establishes security standards for licenses. Once in effect, travelers flying commercially in the U.S. will need to have a REAL ID, which is marked by a star on the top of the card.

Even before the outbreak, it was unlikely that all states would meet the deadline. Last month, Wolf told lawmakers that the prospect of all states being able to issue their constituents a REAL ID by October 2020 was "probably fairly small."