Illinois Driver's Licenses, ID Cards Still Valid For Flights

ACROSS ILLINOIS — Current Illinois driver's licenses and identification cards should still work if you're planning any domestic air travel this month. That's according to state officials, as the state's latest extension to comply with the Real ID act ended on Oct. 10, The State-Journal Register said. According to the news report, Henry Haupt, spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White, said Illinois residents shouldn't see any problems with air travel after Oct.10, who said the secretary of state's office sought and received an extension from Homeland Security.

According to Haute, Illinois is still not completely compliant with the law, but will be next year.

RELATED: Real ID Act: Illinois To Start Issuing New IDs Next Year

Patch reported back in January the Secretary of State's office estimates it will be able to issue REAL ID-compliant cards starting in January 2019, during which travelers with driver's licenses from states that are already compliant with the 2005 REAL ID Act or have not been granted an extension are not able to travel by air within the U.S. unless they show an alternate form of ID.

A bill signed by Bruce Rauner last fall also allows Illinois residents to opt out of REAL IDs and instead use a passport or certified birth certificate to board flights. Now, applicants who visit a DMW to update their license or state ID are no longer issued a permanent license or ID card that same day, Patch reported.

The REAL ID law was passed by Congress in 2005 as a way to establish minimum security standards for state-issued IDs. The deadline was set by the Trump administration after the law was opposed by states under George W. Bush and not enforced under Barack Obama.

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Alex Costello, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.

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