Is an Enhanced ID the Same as Real ID? What to Know Before Deadline
April 8, 2025
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Residents in a handful of U.S. states are not required to upgrade to new REAL IDs if they already possess an enhanced driver’s license.
Why It Matters
Americans are less than one month away from the May 7, 2025, deadline for requiring REAL ID to board U.S. domestic flights.
The process has been years in the making. The REAL ID Act passed by Congress in 2005 enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation for the standardized issuing of identification.
Some people across the country have been scrambling in the final weeks, notably those who intend to travel this spring and summer but lack the proper identification to board flights, access federal buildings, or enter nuclear facilities.
Many states have added additional office hours in recent months to meet heavy demand. Some citizens, like in New Jersey, for example, told Newsweek last month that they couldn’t find available appointments for days or weeks. One even said that her license had expired, but she received no swift appointment to renew it.
What To Know
Congress intended the switch to REAL ID to provide a uniform form of identification for Americans across all 50 states, nullifying the viability of the standard driver’s license, which has been the norm for years.
Under the new regulations, standard driver’s licenses will no longer be sufficient. Travelers aged 18 and older will need a Real ID-compliant license or another form of federally approved identification, such as a passport.
Stock image of an ID card. Stock image of an ID card. Getty Images
However, residents of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington can bypass the process of acquiring REAL ID if they already have Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDL).
EDL will also be accepted for official REAL ID purposes and can be identified by having an image of the U.S. flag and the word “Enhanced” at the top of the card. It can vary from state to state.
In Michigan, for example, the state’s old license and ID design features a star in a gold circle to indicate REAL ID compliance. It is being phased out by January 2029. The new license design features a star in a silhouette of Michigan. Both versions of the star are acceptable.
“Enhanced licenses and IDs are automatically REAL ID-compliant, regardless of whether they display the star,” says the Michigan Department of State.
The state of Minnesota says similar.
“An enhanced driver’s license or identification card meets the standards of REAL ID,” says the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. “You must be a U.S. citizen and at least 16 years old to have an enhanced card.”
The enhanced ID allows individuals to cross the U.S. border to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda or the Caribbean by land or sea. It is not a replacement for a passport for air travel.
Vermont has the same protocols. According to Vermont DMV Deputy Commissioner Matthew Rousseau, those with an enhanced license already hold a Real ID-compliant credential and can continue to fly domestically.
“Vermont began outreach regarding the impending deadline for Real ID back in January of 2014,” Rousseau told Newsweek. “Regular outreach since that date has included information on the benefits of the enhanced driver’s license beyond what the Real ID can be used for.”
The Washington State Department of Licensing explains that REAL ID is federal law and not an actual ID, saying it establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and ID cards.
The following forms of ID meet REAL ID standards in Washington and can be used to board domestic flights:
Enhanced driver’s license (EDL)
Enhanced identification card (EID)
U.S. Military ID
U.S. Passport
U.S. Passport Card
Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
Federally recognized tribal-issued photo ID
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
Foreign Passport
Newsweek reached out to all mentioned states for comment.
Can You Fly With an Enhanced ID After Real ID Change?
Yes, individuals with enhanced IDs can fly on and after May 7.
What People Are Saying
TSA Administrator David Pekoske in January: “Identity verification is foundational to security. I urge those who use a driver’s license or state-issued identity card as their primary form of identification to access federal facilities or board commercial passenger aircraft, to ensure these credentials are REAL ID-compliant.”
New York DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder: “If you have a flight in your near future, the time is now to get a REAL ID. We are just a few short weeks aways from the REAL ID deadline, and you can prevent the burden of delays by getting yours now. Making an appointment online is the best way to get in and out of a DMV office quickly.”
What Happens Next
If your current license is not Real ID-compliant, you’ll need to make an appointment with your local office and bring your current form of ID, a valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other proof of legal presence document, and a certified legal name-change document if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate.
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