# Deadline for Real ID for air travel pushed back until May 3, 2023: upd to May 7, 2025 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2021, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875 "2021-04-27T19:05:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/101 "2025-04-10T19:16:22Z")
I think the documentation requirements vary by state and some are more stringent than others. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/102 "2025-04-10T19:21:09Z")
Agreed. ISTM some states are in effect sabotaging the Fed’s “Lets screw the immigrants and poor people” subtext by granting RealIDs on what is rather flimsy backing. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/103 "2025-04-10T19:24:35Z")
I got mine about a month ago. I needed to show my birth certificate (which entailed going back to the county where I was born to get a copy, since I didn’t have one). An unexpired passport would have worked as well, but I don’t have one, and getting my birth certificate was easier. I also needed to show documentation of my social security number. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/104 "2025-04-10T19:31:39Z")
I just went to see if I could get mine in NJ, but there are zero appointments available statewide. An appointment briefly opened up, about 2.5 hours from me, and then was quickly snapped up. I have my passport, so I’m fine. But, it doesn’t look like I’m getting a RealID by the deadline. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/105 "2025-04-10T19:39:12Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > by answering questions such as which bank did I get a mortgage from in 2007 or how much was the payment on the loan for my 2002 Civic. Which are answers that no one other than myself or my husband is likely to know. These are questions i can’t answer. I mean about me, not about you. I don’t have a good memory for numbers. What did i pay on my auto loan? Damned if i know. Can i recite a recent transaction on my HSA card? Nope. Where did i get my mortgage? Some mortgage broker that sold the loan the next day. What were they called? Dunno. The loan eventually went to some West Coast Bank that went bankrupt, but i don’t recall it’s name, either. I’m screwed. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/106 "2025-04-10T19:42:31Z")
I think they understand that people don’t remember this stuff precisely. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/107 "2025-04-10T19:46:25Z")
When I’ve had to answer similar identity questions it’s more like “Which of these 4 cars did you once own?: 1997 Kia, 2005 Jeep, 2010 Toyota, 2020 Mercedes, or I never owned any of those”. Or “which city did you once live in?” with 4 choices and a none of the above. Or “which street name did you once live on?” Because I’ve owned a few registered businesses I’ve gotten similar questions about which business name was I once affiliated with. What I have never gotten is “how much was your car payment?” or “Who was your mortgage with?” Punchline being those are all questions whose answers are fairly memorable. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/108 "2025-04-10T20:17:49Z")
My bank has asked me to give them a recent transaction to prove my identity. And when i lost my wallet and needed to replace everything in it, the hardest item turned out to be my HSA-linked debit card, because they wanted me to tell them a recent transaction on it. And… I honestly didn’t even remember which medical fees I’d paid with it and which I’d just paid with my credit card, let alone who the payment was to (names of medical groups are often dissimilar from the name you write in your calendar) or exactly how much it was. Because i could do that, i had trouble even convincing them to cancel the existing card. I use the credit cards a lot more, could log into the app (good enough to demonstrate my identity) and that was enough for them to cancel the cards and mail new ones to my home address on their records. The credit cards were cancelled half an hour after i lost the wallet, and one of the new ones made it home before i did, the other a day later. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/109 "2025-04-10T21:03:15Z")
I didn’t go into a lot of detail ( maybe not enough) but they weren’t open ended questions - it was multiple choice with say four banks named for the mortgage and multiple brackets for the car payment , maybe 400-600 or 900-12000 And there weren’t just two questions- those were just the first two I remembered. I’m sure I also got a question about addresses and which car I owned and I don’t know what else. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2025, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/110 "2025-04-10T23:38:32Z")
> [@chela](#): > > IIRC only a handful of US states offer the enhanced ID. > > And that’s what I used to cross into Canada my enhanced DL. Probably a good idea to renew your passport if you’ll ever be in Canada because if you drive to Canookland using enhanced DL but need to fly back to the States in an emergency you’ll need a passport to fly home. > remember: neither EDLs nor passport cards can be used for international air travel, even emergency flights home from Canada or Mexico. From [here.](https://www.rushmypassport.com/blog/us-passports-vs-enhanced-drivers-licenses/#:~:text=US%20Passports%20vs.&text=What%20are%20the%20advantages%20of,ID%20for%20the%20entire%20trip.) I could not easily find this info from a more authoritative site (e.g. US Dept. of State) so my cite is third-party. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/111 "2025-04-11T01:06:29Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > If he was going to change it, it would be in the other direction, that _only_ a passport would be acceptable for flying. So, green card aliens can not fly? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/112 "2025-04-11T01:26:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > So, green card aliens can not fly? I would suspect that many non-citizens with green cards who are living in the U.S. are already using passports – from their home countries – as ID at TSA checkpoints. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/113 "2025-04-11T01:34:30Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I would suspect that many non-citizens with green cards who are living in the U.S. are already using passports – from their home countries – as ID at TSA checkpoints. Sure, but the real idea of Real ID was so undocumented aliens can’t fly. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/114 "2025-04-11T01:35:22Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure, but the real idea of Real ID was so undocumented aliens can’t fly Which has nothing to do with “green card aliens,” who are, by definition, not undocumented. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/115 "2025-04-11T01:36:01Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Which has nothing to do with “green card aliens,” who are, by definition, not undocumented That is what I said “sure”. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/116 "2025-04-11T01:41:20Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That is what I said “sure” I’m not sure what you were trying to argue or point out here. You said, in response to: > [@doreen](#): > > If he was going to change it, it would be in the other direction, that _only_ a passport would be acceptable for flying. > [@DrDeth](#): > > So, green card aliens can not fly? Why did you bring them up here, if your point was that: > [@DrDeth](#): > > Sure, but the real idea of Real ID was so undocumented aliens can’t fly. ---
**Author:** ![Reallivedead-Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reallivedead-guy/32/18966_2.png) [@Reallivedead-Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reallivedead-Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/117 "2025-04-11T01:49:32Z")
Totally agree. . at that time, the state where I was living was having all sorts of problems instituting the new program, and had a very significant backlog and there were horror stories of people going in for renewals or to obtain the new Real ID and not having the correct papers, or documents and having to return and start all over again the next day. . .Usually after having to stand in line for several hours. (_It was worse than standing in line for the original Star Wars after the word got out_) Apparently in some locations it has only gotten marginally better. As it turned out, a good longtime friend made some calls and came by and grabbed me and we went to a local tag agent, and were in and out in about 20 to 30 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/118 "2025-04-11T01:59:23Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Why did you bring them up here, if your point was that: I meant NON green card aliens cant fly. My mistake. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/119 "2025-04-11T02:12:54Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > I meant NON green card aliens cant fly. My mistake. No worries – thank you for the clarification! ---
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2025, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875/120 "2025-04-11T02:47:43Z")
Another Enhanced Driver’s License holder here, since they’re available in Minnesota due to its proximity to Canada. I just got a new one (the old one merely expired), my second EDL. My first card from four years ago only had the American flag, but my new one has both the flag and the gold star. But when we travel, we usually just carry our passports anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deadline-for-real-id-for-air-travel-pushed-back-until-may-3-2023-upd-to-may-7-2025/940875.md?page=7)