'Real ID' deadline is May 7, 2025

Starting May 7, 2025, US travelers must be Real ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities.

- MICHAEL J. GURFINKEL, ESQ

Ordinarily, a person must have a state-issued driver's license that is Real ID compliant (a gold star marking) to pass the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) inspection and board a domestic flight.

To obtain a Real ID driver's license, a person must provide documentation showing their name, date of birth, Social Security number, proof of address and, most important, legal status.

But what about people who are out of status? How can they fly domestically (within the US) after May 7, 2025? If they are out of status, they cannot provide documentation showing they are in legal status.