REAL ID Documents (USA)
The REAL ID status of each state is described below. This information is current as of October 2023.
REAL ID Act
The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. states to set federal standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.
Starting May 7, 2025, travellers must present a valid REAL ID driver’s license or ID card (or a TSA-approved alternate document) to board any commercial flight in the United States.
Important Information
1. All enhanced driver’s licenses and identification cards are REAL ID compliant even if they do not bare a REAL ID compliance symbol. These cards are still marked as REAL ID compliant in the PDF417 barcode.
2. REAL ID allows jurisdictions to issue identification cards and driver’s licenses that are not in compliance with the requirements of the Act. Those licenses and identification cards, however, must clearly state on their face and in the machine readable zone that the card is not acceptable for official purposes.
Why this matters to us:
- If a barcode scans as REAL ID compliant before that jurisdiction started issuing REAL ID compliant cards, it will fail validation.
- If a barcode scans as not REAL ID compliant, but the jurisdiction only issued REAL ID compliant cards as of the card issue date, it will fail validation.
- If the indicators or non-compliance text on the front of the card do not match the barcode as of the card issue date, it will fail validation.
Some jurisdictions started issuing REAL ID compliant cards as early as 2010, however most only started in the last few years. Card issuers also change the compliance symbols, non-compliance text, and rules on arbitrary dates that do not coincide with new card designs or barcode revisions. This can make it difficult to know when to use REAL ID.
Our barcode generator has a comprehensive database of REAL ID compliance rules for all states to help you select the best option and will warn you when something doesn't look right. We also show you which symbols or non-compliance text to use on the front of the card for it to pass validation based on real cards issued during the time of the card issue date.
Alabama
Issued starting: 06/04/2013
Starting: 06/04/2013
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Starting: 04/26/2022
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Alaska
Issued starting: 01/02/2019
Starting: 01/02/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY
Arizona
Issued starting: 02/01/2023
Starting: 02/01/2023
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Starting: 07/09/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
Arkansas
Issued starting: 10/03/2016
Starting: 10/03/2016
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Starting: 07/09/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
California
Issued starting: 01/22/2018
Starting: 01/22/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY
Colorado
Issued starting: 07/01/2013
Starting: 07/01/2013
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT VALID FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION, VOTING OR PUBLIC BENEFIT PURPOSES
Starting: 10/30/2015
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT VALID FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION, VOTING OR PUBLIC BENEFIT PURPOSES
Connecticut
Issued starting: 10/03/2011
Starting: 10/03/2011
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Not for Federal Identification
Delaware
Issued starting: 07/01/2010
Starting: 07/01/2010
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Starting: 06/04/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
District of Columbia
Issued starting: 05/01/2014
Starting: 05/01/2014
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT VALID FOR OFFICIAL FEDERAL PURPOSES
Florida
Issued starting: 08/01/2019
Starting: 08/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Georgia
Issued starting: 07/03/2012
Starting: 07/03/2012
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Starting: 08/09/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Hawaii
Issued starting:
Idaho
Issued starting: 01/01/2018
Starting: 01/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Not For REAL ID Purposes
Illinois
Issued starting: 01/07/2019
Starting: 01/07/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Federal Limits Apply
Indiana
Issued starting: 01/01/2010
Starting: 01/01/2010
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Starting: 05/20/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Iowa
Issued starting: 01/15/2013
Starting: 01/15/2013
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Kansas
Issued starting: 08/01/2017
Starting: 08/01/2017
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
Kentucky
Issued starting: 06/28/2019
Starting: 06/28/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID PURPOSES
Louisiana
Issued starting: 10/01/2016
Starting: 10/01/2016
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Maine
Issued starting: 07/01/2019
Starting: 07/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Starting: 10/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT INTENDED FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES
Maryland
Issued starting: 06/20/2016
Starting: 06/20/2016
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Massachusetts
Issued starting: 03/26/2018
Starting: 03/26/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
Michigan
Issued starting: 01/21/2019
Starting: 01/21/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Minnesota
Issued starting: 03/01/2019
Starting: 03/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Mississippi
Issued starting: 01/01/2018
Starting: 01/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Missouri
Issued starting: 03/25/2019
Starting: 03/25/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Montana
Issued starting: 01/01/2019
Starting: 01/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Nebraska
Issued starting: 04/15/2013
Starting: 04/15/2013
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Nevada
Issued starting: 11/12/2014
Starting: 11/12/2014
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID PURPOSES
Starting: 05/24/2021
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
New Hampshire
Issued starting: 01/03/2017
Starting: 01/03/2017
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
New Jersey
Issued starting: 06/01/2019
Starting: 06/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR "REAL ID" PURPOSES
New Mexico
Issued starting: 11/14/2016
Starting: 11/14/2016
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES
New York
Issued starting: 10/31/2017
Starting: 10/31/2017
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES
North Carolina
Issued starting: 05/01/2017
Starting: 05/01/2017
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
North Dakota
Issued starting: 05/01/2018
Starting: 05/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT VALID FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Ohio
Issued starting: 07/01/2018
Starting: 07/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL ID
Oklahoma
Issued starting: 04/30/2020
Starting: 04/30/2020
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Oregon
Issued starting: 07/06/2020
Starting: 07/06/2020
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Not for REAL ID Act
Pennsylvania
Issued starting: 03/01/2019
Starting: 03/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Rhode Island
Issued starting: 12/03/2018
Starting: 12/03/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
South Carolina
Issued starting: 03/01/2018
Starting: 03/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
South Dakota
Issued starting: 01/01/2010
Starting: 01/01/2010
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Tennessee
Issued starting: 07/01/2019
Starting: 07/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Texas
Issued starting: 10/01/2016
Starting: 10/01/2016
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Utah
Issued starting: 01/01/2019
Starting: 01/01/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: VALID FOR IDENTIFICATION ("DRIVING PRIVILEGE ONLY")
Vermont
Issued starting: 01/01/2014
Starting: 01/01/2014
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Drivers Privilege Card
Starting: 06/11/2019
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: Drivers Privilege Card
Virginia
Issued starting: 10/01/2018
Starting: 10/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY
Washington
Issued starting: 07/01/2018
Starting: 07/01/2018
REAL ID Compliant: Enhanced Drivers License
Non-Compliant: FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY
West Virginia
Issued starting: 01/01/2013
Starting: 01/01/2013
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION
Starting: 12/12/2020
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES
Wisconsin
Issued starting: 01/01/2015
Starting: 01/01/2015
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: NOT FOR FEDERAL PURPOSES
Wyoming
Issued starting: 01/01/2014
Starting: 01/01/2014
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator
Starting: 01/30/2020
REAL ID Compliant:
Non-Compliant: No indicator