Department of Homeland Security extends REAL ID enforcement date

On April 27 the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended its REAL ID full enforcement by 19 months due to circumstances resulting from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, moving the date from October 1, 2021 to May 3, 2023.

Many driver’s licensing agencies across the nation are operating at a limited capacity. As a result, only 43 percent of all state-issued driver’s licenses and identifi cation cards are currently REAL ID-compliant. The extension to May 3, 2023 allows states the needed time to fully reopen and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.

“Although it is now May of 2023, Appleton Airport is ready for the transition,” said Abe Weber, Appleton Airport director. “Our REAL-ID identification technology is in place and ready for when the time comes. If you haven’t yet gotten your REAL ID, we encourage you to do so as soon as you can.”

Now beginning May 3, 2023, every air traveler 18 years of age and 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. All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act.

This year, in preparation for the REAL ID enforcement, Appleton Airport installed Credential Authentication Technology (CAT) at its TSA checkpoint as a way to verify REAL ID-compliant identification. Not only does it create a streamlined and efficient REAL ID verification at the security checkpoint, but it also reduces a contact touchpoint for travelers going through the airport.

For more information on REAL ID, its enforcement timeline, and how to acquire a REAL ID-compliant identifi cation, visit www.dhs.gov/real-id.