US delays enforcing tougher ID rules at airports until May 2025

People pass the signs telling of the requirement for voters to show an acceptable photo ID to vote as they head into the the Penndot Drivers License Center in Butler, Pa. The U.S. Homeland Security Department said Monday it will delay enforcement of rules requiring Americans to get new identification cards in order to board airplanes or enter a federal building.

People pass the signs telling of the requirement for voters to show an acceptable photo ID to vote as they head into the the Penndot Drivers License Center in Butler, Pa. The U.S. Homeland Security Department said Monday it will delay enforcement of rules requiring Americans to get new identification cards in order to board airplanes or enter a federal building. (Associated Press)


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Homeland Security Department said Monday it will delay enforcement of rules requiring Americans to get new identification cards in order to board airplanes or enter a federal building, by another two years to May 2025.

Congress in 2005 approved federal standards for issuing identification cards but enforcement has been repeatedly pushed back. DHS in April 2021 had pushed back the "REAL ID" enforcement deadline until May 2023.

The new delay is in part "to address the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ability to obtain a REAL ID driver's license or identification card," DHS said.

The 2005 law enacted the Sept. 11 commission's recommendation that the U.S. government "set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses."

The law sets minimum security standards for license issuance and production.

As of June, only around half of the eligible population had REAL IDs and the number of Americans obtaining them is increasing at a very slow rate. That figure is up from about 43% as of April 2021.

Airports Council International – North America chief executive officer Kevin Burke praised the decision to push the deadline because few people still have the cards. It will help "prevent undue travel disruptions" and preserve "the health of the aviation system as we continue to navigate the pandemic's impacts on global air travel," he said.

Most recent U.S. stories

Related topics

U.S.
Reuters

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast