How to check if your Texas driver’s license is Real ID-compliant

If you are flying in the spring of 2023 and do not have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, fret not. The Department of Homeland Security has pushed back enforcement from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025.

“DHS continues to work closely with U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories to meet REAL ID requirements,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “This extension will give states needed time to ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS will also use this time to implement innovations to make the process more efficient and accessible. We will continue to ensure that the American public can travel safely.”

The enforcement extension was compelled by the backlogs state licensing agencies experienced in processing documents because of COVID-19.

Many of these agencies took various steps in response to the pandemic including automatically extending the expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards and shifting operations to appointment only, according to the DHS..

But do not wait until the last minute to get your Real ID-compliant driver’s license in Texas.

How do I know my Texas driver’s license is Real ID-compliant?

• Your current Texas driver license or ID is Real ID-compliant if it has a gold star in the top right corner.

• If it doesn’t have a gold star, you’ll get the gold star on your next renewal or request a replacement card.

How do I get a Real ID-compliant license in Texas?

• You can apply for a new Real ID-compliant Texas driver’s license or ID in-person at a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) office. You may be eligible to renew your existing Texas driver’s license or ID online.

• You can still use your current, unexpired Texas driver’s license or identification card to drive and for non-federal ID purposes. When it’s time to renew your driver’s license or identification card, you’ll get one that is Real ID-compliant.

What you need to apply for a Real ID-compliant driver’s license in Texas

• An original or certified copy of a birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport.

• Social Security card

• Current Texas vehicle registration or title

• Current car insurance policy or car insurance statement

• If your name changed, legal documents showing proof of name change from your birth name.

What is the Real ID Act?

• The law establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards – including anti-counterfeiting technology, preventing insider fraud, and using documentary evidence and record checks to ensure a person is who they claim to be.

• Congress passed the law in 2005 in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation.

• Every traveler 18 years or 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 starting May 7, 2025.

• All 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and four of five U.S. territories covered by the REAL ID Act and related regulations are issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.