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The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles recently announced those waiting for the enforcement of REAL ID will wait a little longer. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended the REAL ID enforcement date from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025.
The REAL ID program was established by the Congress in 2005 as one of many post 9/11 security reforms with responsibility for implementation and enforcement resting with the DHS.
The REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for license issuance and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are:
In 2013 the DHS announced a phased in enforcement program. Since then, there have been multiple extensions in the final enforcement date.
The latest announcement means that beginning on May 7, 2025, air travelers 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or ID card, or another TSA-acceptable form of identification, for domestic air travel and to enter the facilities referenced above.
According to the Massachusetts Registry, the state is currently at 48 percent REAL ID adoption.
Customers are eligible to renew online up to one year in advance of the expiration date printed on their license or ID, and up to two years after the expiration date.
Credentials required under the REAL ID mandate include an RMV-issued REAL ID driving license or ID, or a valid U.S. passport. The documents required to get a REAL ID compliant license include two pieces of proof of Massachusetts residency, proof of a full Social Security Number, and proof of lawful presence.
Employers who have their employees travel regularly for work or need to enter the federal facilities referenced above, may want to remind employees of the need to have either a valid passport or a REAL ID license by 2025.
AIM members with questions about this or any other human-resources issue may call the Employer Hotline at 1-800-470-6277.
