New York Residents Will Need REAL ID to Fly Starting May 2025

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Today at Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport - ROC, DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder joined with Transportation Security Administration - TSA and Monroe County Clerk Jamie Romeo to discuss the upcoming May 7 deadline to get a REAL ID in order to fly within the US.

New York residents will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another form of federally approved identification to board domestic flights starting May 7, 2025.

A REAL ID or enhanced driver’s license, which features a small star or flag, meets federal security standards. Without one, travelers will need an alternative form of identification, such as a passport, to board a plane or enter secure federal facilities, including military bases.

“The REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards,” said Bart R. Johnson, the Transportation Security Administration’s federal security director for airports in Upstate New York. “The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”

New York residents can upgrade to a REAL ID or enhanced ID or keep a standard driver’s license. However, a standard license—without the star or flag—will not be valid for air travel or entry into federal buildings.

To obtain a REAL ID, individuals must visit a New York Department of Motor Vehicles office in person and provide documents proving U.S. citizenship and state residency. Required documents include one proof of identity, such as a passport or U.S. birth certificate, proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens, two proofs of New York residency, a Social Security card (if issued one), and a current driver’s license if exchanging one from another state.

Starting May 7, 2025, TSA officers at airport security checkpoints will not allow travelers through without a REAL ID-compliant license or another approved form of identification. TSA may phase in implementation and will post updates on its website.

Signs at airports nationwide will remind travelers of the REAL ID requirements. Acceptable forms of ID include a valid passport, a federal government PIV card, or a U.S. military ID.

For more information on obtaining a REAL ID in New York, visit dmv.ny.gov.