CT REAL ID: Enforcement Begins In 1 Year

CONNECTICUT — Connecticut residents have one year to apply for a REAL ID verification in order to use a state-issued driver’s license or identification card to fly domestically or enter certain federal buildings.

The Department of Homeland Security will begin enforcement on May 3, 2023. The deadline was extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Connecticut residents can renew driver’s licenses online in most instances, but those who are applying for a REAL ID license for the first time will need to make an in-person appointment. A REAL ID has a gold star in the top right corner of a license.

Domestic flyers can also use a U.S. passport and certain other documents as an alternative means of identification. Children under 17 do not need to provide identification if they travel with a companion within the United States.

The Connecticut DMV provides an interactive Real ID document checklist.

A U.S. birth certificate or passport is required as a primary form of identity for those born in the U.S.

There are a multitude of secondary documents that are accepted, including Social Security cards. Two different documents (such as a bank statement or utility bill) that prove Connecticut residency are also required.

The REAL ID Act was passed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards.

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