On December 31, The Western Journal posted an article reminding Americans that beginning on May 7, 2025, Americans will need a REAL ID-compliant ID to board a domestic flight, visit certain federal facilities or enter a nuclear power plant.
The article reports:
“Come early May, you will need a REAL ID-compliant ID (which you may already have) to board a domestic flight. It will also be necessary if you are visiting certain federal facilities or entering a nuclear power plant,” the service reported.
“Once the REAL ID requirement kicks in, federal agencies like TSA will be prohibited from accepting state-issued IDs that do not meet the necessary standards.”
At this point, they noted, “all states must at least require proof of your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, legal residency, and two forms verifying your address before issuing a driver’s license or ID card.”
“Thankfully, many states have been issuing REAL ID-compliant IDs for years, which means there is a good chance you already have one. The quickest way to tell is by looking at your driver’s license or state-issued ID: if there is a star — it will be either black or gold, appear as a star or a cutout — your ID is a REAL ID.”
If you opt out of the program, you’ll be issued a license with “Federal Limits Apply” on it.
“As of the end of December, the REAL ID rules will take effect on May 7, 2025. Once the deadline passes, if you do not have a REAL ID, you may need to provide another form of identification, like a U.S. passport or military ID, to board a plane,” Nexstar noted.
The article notes:
Of course, as we approach a quarter of a century since 9/11, we know that federalizing ID standards is more or less pointless; the weak point in the system with those terrorist attacks was a series of missed red flags by the same team of bureaucrats we’re now entrusting to federalize what was once a state matter, the issuance of driver’s licenses.
It’s impossible to believe that legislation so unwieldy that it will be implemented only 17 years after it was supposed to has actually stopped an attack — or done anything, period, aside from create new, fresh levels of bureaucracy for people to navigate.
Please follow the link to read the story of an American citizen who had trouble getting a real ID because his parents did not file the proper paperwork at the time of his birth.