How to Get a REAL ID

An hour in line at the DMV ended with the paperwork handed back over one missing document. The card is standardized by federal law, but the list of paper that earns one is written by each state, and the gap that sends people home is a current name that no longer matches the birth certificate.

Check the top corner of the card already in your wallet

Plenty of people carry a compliant card without knowing it. TSA's REAL ID frequently asked questions say compliant cards carry one of a set of markings on the upper top portion of the card, and that a card without one of them is not compliant and will not be accepted as proof of identity to board commercial aircraft. TSA's readiness tool frames the check as whether the license shows a star, a flag, or the word Enhanced.

Confirm what the card is required for

TSA's about REAL ID page lists three official purposes: accessing certain federal facilities, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft, and entering nuclear power plants. It states that beginning May 7, 2025, anyone 18 and older planning to fly domestically or visit certain federal facilities needs a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification.

Gather the five categories of proof

As of September 2026, the frequently asked questions page says an applicant must at minimum show full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of address of principal residence, and lawful status, and that states may impose additional requirements. Where a Social Security card is not on hand, that page lists a W-2, an SSA-1099, a non-SSA-1099, or a pay stub bearing the name and number.

Trace your current name back to your birth certificate

The same page says the applicant should demonstrate name traceability, a connection between the name on the source document and the name requested on the issued document, and that a listing of every name previously used is not required. States choose which documents count as evidence of that traceability, so the state agency site holds the only real list.

Check your state agency site, then go in person

TSA's REAL ID page carries a state and territory selector, with the instruction to click your home state and make a plan with the local DMV. The frequently asked questions tell applicants to check that agency website before visiting in person, which is where appointment booking sits when the state offers it. The same page describes states accepting documents pre-submitted electronically, followed by physical presentation of those same documents for verification by DMV personnel, so an upload does not replace carrying the paper in.

If a flight comes before the DMV visit. TSA's acceptable identification page lists a U.S. passport and a U.S. passport card among the forms accepted at the checkpoint, and states that as of May 7, 2025 state licenses that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted at airports.

If you reach the checkpoint without an acceptable ID. TSA ConfirmID says a traveler unable to provide acceptable identification can pay a $45 fee, as of September 2026, after which TSA will attempt to verify identity, with no guarantee.

Sources. REAL ID FAQ, REAL ID, About REAL ID, REAL ID ready, Acceptable identification, ConfirmID.