North Carolina REAL ID Requirement Takes Effect May 2025
Starting May 7, 2025, North Carolina residents will need REAL ID cards to fly within the U.S. These special licenses, marked with a star in a black circle, will be required for air travel and getting into federal buildings.
The NC DMV has given out over 4.7 million REAL IDs since May 2017. This January alone, they handed out 64,220 new cards. The tough federal rules are meant to stop fake IDs from being used.
“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards,” says Beth Walker, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Charlotte International Airport. “The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
To get a REAL ID, you need to go to the DMV office with certain documents. You’ll need to show proof you’re a U.S. citizen, your Social Security number, and proof you live in NC. In Charlotte, people are having to wait until late August because it’s so busy.
Regular licenses still work fine for driving, voting, banking, and getting federal benefits. People without REAL IDs can still fly if they have a valid passport or other ID that TSA accepts.
The 2005 law from Congress kept getting pushed back because of COVID-19. As the deadline gets closer, DMV offices are getting ready for lots more people coming in.
While 1.3 million cards were given out by 2020, state officials think about 1.8 million NC residents still need to get their REAL IDs.
