With just two months remaining until the May 7 federal REAL ID enforcement deadline, officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Philadelphia International Airport, American Automobile Association (AAA), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are encouraging Pennsylvanians to prepare now to ensure they can fly domestically without disruptions.

These efforts reflect the Shapiro Administration’s commitment to ensuring residents have the information and opportunities they need to comply with the federal deadline.

Getting a REAL ID is optional in Pennsylvania, but beginning May 7, travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to board a domestic commercial flight, and enter military bases and other federal facilities that require ID at the door. More than 2.5 million Pennsylvanians have gotten a REAL ID driver’s license or ID card since they became available in the state in 2019.

“As the weather starts getting warmer, we know many Pennsylvanians have made exciting travel plans,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “With federal REAL ID enforcement beginning on May 7, your travel planning should include making sure you have proper ID to fly. If you want to keep using your driver’s license or photo ID card to fly domestically, you’ll need to upgrade to a REAL ID if you haven’t already.”

PennDOT is hosting a series of REAL ID Days at driver license centers across the commonwealth. During these events, centers will be exclusively processing REAL IDs to help Pennsylvanians obtain a REAL ID before the enforcement deadline. REAL ID Days are held on Mondays when the centers are typically closed. The centers will still be open during their normal hours and people can also get a REAL ID or conduct other driver license business during that time. A complete schedule of REAL ID Days events can be found on PennDOT’s website.

“Our team takes pride in ensuring passengers have a great experience with their journey via PHL,” said Philadelphia International Aiport CEO Atif Saeed. “One thing travelers can do to make sure their trip goes as smoothly as possible is to obtain a Real ID compliant driver’s license. Thank you to the TSA, PennDOT and AAA for partnering on this initiative to make sure travelers have a REAL ID compliant state ID or driver’s license or a passport or passport card before the deadline. I also want to thank Pennsylvania Secretary of Transportation Michael Carroll and the PennDOT team for opening their driver license centers on days when they are closed to assist more Pennsylvanians in need of REAL IDs.”

AAA is urging Pennsylvanians to be prepared for travel by either having a REAL ID or an alternative form of identification such as a passport since the May 7, 2025 federal deadline is fast approaching.

“Pennsylvania residents who plan to travel domestically by plane should take advantage of the opportunity to get their REAL ID identification sooner rather than later to avoid potential last-minute scrambling when planning air travel,” said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “If you currently board domestic flights using your state-issued driver’s license as your form of identification, you’ll need to apply for a REAL ID driver’s license or start using a passport to board a domestic flight. Travelers interested in obtaining a REAL ID should begin the application process ahead of time to ensure they do not experience any travel delays or postponements.”

If you’re not sure whether a REAL ID is right for you, our REAL ID online wizard may be able to help. A passport is still needed for international travel.

Federal REAL ID regulations require that PennDOT must verify the below documents:

• Proof of Identity: examples include an original or certified copy of a birth certificate filed with the State Office of Vital Records/Statistics with a raised/embossed seal, or a valid, unexpired U.S. Passport.
• Proof of Social Security Number (proof must display currently legal name and full nine digits of the Social Security Number): examples include a Social Security card, a W-2 form, a SSA-1099 form, a non-SSA-1099 form, or a pay stub.
• Two Proofs of Current, Physical PA Address: examples include a current, unexpired PA driver’s license or identification card, vehicle registration, or a utility bill with the same name and address.
• Proof of all Legal Name Changes (if current legal name is different than what is reflected on proof of identity document): examples include certified marriage certificate(s) issued by the County Court for each marriage, court order(s) approving a change in legal name, or adoption decree issued by your county’s family court.

More information about REAL ID document requirements can be found on PennDOT’s REAL ID website.

When a customer gets their first REAL ID product, they will pay a one-time fee of $30, plus the applicable renewal fee (the current renewal fee is $39.50 for a four-year non-commercial driver’s license and $42.50 for a photo ID). The expiration date of their initial REAL ID product will include any time remaining on their existing non-REAL ID product, plus an additional four years, unless the customer is over 65 and has a two-year license. This expiration date structure means that the customer won’t lose time that they’ve already paid for. After the initial REAL ID product expires, the customer will pay no additional fee beyond regular renewal fees to renew a REAL ID product.

After customers present the proper documentation and pay the applicable fee, customers may obtain a REAL ID-compliant product by:

• Receiving the product in the mail within 15 days, if application was made at a Driver License Center.
• Receiving the product over the counter, if application was made at one of PennDOT’s 15 REAL ID Centers.

Customers who received their first Pennsylvania driver’s license, learner’s permit, or photo ID card AFTER September 1, 2003, may already have their REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT.  These customers can  apply for REAL ID pre-verification and order their REAL ID-compliant product online

For a full list of driver license centers, REAL ID Centers, and services offered, please visit the PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services website and click on Find A Location.

For more information on REAL ID, visit PennDOT’s REAL ID website.

Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.

Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, and Instagram.