REAL ID Deadline Is On The Horizon: What You Need To Know In VA

VIRGINIA — The countdown is on for Virginia residents who haven’t gotten their REAL ID cards. After moving the deadline for getting the gold star required to board domestic flights and enter certain federal offices, Homeland Security officials set May 7, 2025, as the final date.

Individual states may have specific requirements to get a REAL ID card. At a minimum, applicants must provide documentation showing their full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of address of the principal residence, and lawful status.

To get a REAL ID in Virginia, residents can start the application online before visiting a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles customer service center or simply fill out a paper application at a customer service center.

Required documents to obtain a REAL ID in Virginia include:

1. Proof of age and identity (i.e. birth certificate, U.S. passport, permanent resident card, etc.)
2. Proof of legal presence
3. Proof of social security
4. Two documents proving Virginia residency (i.e. vehicle registration card, bank account statement, utility bill, etc.)
5. $10 fee, plus the cost of the driver’s license or ID card you’re applying for.

COVID-19 backlogs in state agencies charged with issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards prompted the last REAL ID extension in late 2022. The original 2020 deadline to get REAL IDs had been extended multiple times because of the pandemic.

After May 7, 2025, federal agencies, including the Transportation Security Administration, will no longer accept identification that does not meet the new standards.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 was passed by Congress in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In addition to the stars, REAL ID cards are built with technology that makes them more difficult to forge, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

YOURSTATE residents who don’t plan to fly domestically or visit a federal office don’t need to do anything. A REAL ID isn't required 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 is not a substitute for a passport required for international travel, and it also does not 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.