REAL ID Deadline Extended Again: What It Means For MD Residents

MARYLAND — Residents of Maryland have an additional 24 months to obtain their REAL IDs, a document that will be necessary to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings, after the Department of Homeland Security on Monday extended the enforcement deadline to May 7, 2025.

Officials said the extension is needed, in part, because of lingering problems from COVID-19 that caused backlogs in state agencies charged with issuing driver’s licenses.

Precautions in many states included automatically extending expiration dates of driver’s licenses and identification cards, and shifting to appointment-only schedules.

In Maryland, 88 percent of licensed drivers and identification card holders — about 4.3 million residents — are REAL ID compliant, well above the national average of 51 percent recently released by the Department of Homeland Security. There are over 500,000 Marylanders who are not yet REAL ID compliant, Ashley Millner, acting director of media relations with the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration, told Patch in October.

MDOT MVA has implemented several services to make obtaining a REAL ID quick and easy, she said. Most branches statewide can schedule an appointment within one to three days, and in some cases the same day. On average, nearly 80 percent of customers who visit a branch office complete their transaction within 15 minutes.

MVA offices require an in-person visit to bring in the required documents for a REAL ID. You can schedule an appointment in advance.

To obtain a real ID, Maryland residents must provide documents to prove their identity, their Social Security number, a written signature and two documents that show proof of residence.

Maryland residents who already have their Social Security number on file and verified with the MDOT MVA are no longer required to provide a Social Security card when presenting documents to obtain a REAL ID, Millner said. Additionally, MDOT MVA just expanded its birth certificate printing service to six branches.

View the MVA's fact sheet about the REAL ID here.

How to apply for the REAL ID in Maryland

To apply for the new card, you'll need to gather a few documents for your trip to the MVA.:

• Proof of age and identity: Original or certified copy of a birth certificate or a valid U.S. passport that has not expired. If you don't have a birth certificate, request an original or certified copy (here for those born in Maryland and here for those born in other U.S. states)
• Proof of Social Security: Social Security card in current legal name. Other items are accepted such as W-2, SSA-1099 or pay stub from past three months displaying name and SSN.
• Proof of Maryland residency (two are required): Current, unexpired Maryland driver's license or identification card; Maryland vehicle registration card or title; utility, TV/cable or telephone bill with the same name and address; property tax bill or receipt; residential rental contract; mail or benefits statement from a federal, state or local government agency; copy of federal or Maryland income tax return filing; checking, savings, financial account or collection agency communications; voter registration card; credit card statement; valid Maryland state-issued professional license; medical or hospital bill; or residential service contract or delivery for services performed at the address of residence (e.g., TV repair, lawn service, furniture delivery)

Find more information on REAL IDs in Maryland.

The Maryland Department of Transportation created a video that provides the basics on getting REAL ID.

The compliance deadline has been extended multiple times beyond the original date — April 27, 2020 — because of the pandemic. It was extended to October 2021, but in May of that year, DHS extended it again to May 3, 2023. And that deadline has now been extended two more years.

• Related: 500K Marylanders Not REAL ID Compliant As Deadline Nears

Past the new enforcement date of May 7, 2025, federal agencies, including the TSA, will not be able to accept identification that does not meet REAL ID standards.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 was passed by Congress after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Four pieces of identification are required to obtain a REAL ID: a passport or birth certificate, a Social Security card or tax return, and two documents proving proof of residence, such as a mortgage or rental receipt and a utility bill.

In addition to the stars on REAL ID driver's licenses, the cards themselves will be built with new technology, making them much more difficult to forge, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

If you don't plan to fly domestically or visit a federal office, no worries. You don't need a REAL ID to get a driver's license. Also, the TSA won't require children under 18 to provide identification when they're traveling with an adult companion within the United States, but the companion must have acceptable identification.

The REAL ID isn't a substitute for a passport required for international travel, and it also doesn't affect the ability to vote or register to vote, applications for federal benefits, enter federal facilities that don't require identification, obtain medical care, or participate in police proceedings or investigations.