Is REAL ID Actually Happening?
Twenty years after it was passed, the REAL ID Act may finally be enforced. However, the decades between the law’s passage and its enforcement show that, as a terrorism-prevention measure, it is hardly needed in the first place. Making matters worse, as more than a dozen states are less than 50 percent compliant, the law may make domestic air travel more difficult—or even impossible—for millions of Americans.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 as part of a suite of post-9/11 laws aimed at boosting national security. The law was intended to make it harder to forge identity documents, requiring those seeking a driver’s license or ID card to provide additional documentation proving their identity—like a valid passport or birth certificate—with compliant IDs having a star printed on them.
Over the past two decades, enforcement of the law has been delayed a whopping seven times. Most recently, the Biden administration delayed enforcement for two years, from May 3, 2023, to May 7, 2025. So far, no additional delay has been announced by Trump administr
Article from Reason.com
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