EDITORIAL: Are you Real ID compliant?

Published 1:32 pm Tuesday, March 25, 2025

Milledgeville and Baldwin County residents, along with all Georgians who want to board domestic flights or enter federal buildings, including military buildings, will soon need to upgrade their identification cards.

According to the Georgia Department of Driver Services website, all U.S. travelers over age 18 must have a Real ID to board a domestic flight and access certain federal buildings by May 7, 2025.

The deadline has been pushed back a few times since the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the May 7 deadline, federal agencies like the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will require all driver’s licenses and state identification cards to be Real ID-compliant.

The Real ID identification carries a higher level of verification than a simple driver’s license. Passed by Congress in 2005, the Real ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses,” according to the Department of Homeland Security website.

Permanent licenses issued in Georgia after 2012 are already REAL ID Compliant. If your license has a gold or black star in the top right corner and a scannable code section, then it is already compliant.

If your license does not have the star, then you will need to apply for a Real ID license.

How do you apply for a Real ID?

Stop by a Department of Driver Services office. But before you do, the Georgia DDS website states that you should make sure that you have the following items to take with you:

Identity Document (one document) – An original or certified document to prove who you are such as a certified birth certificate, valid U.S. Passport, Certificate of Naturalization, I-551, etc. If your name has changed from what is on your birth certificate, there are other requirements included on the DDS website.

–Social Security Number  – Your full Social Security Number (SSN) must be provided when you submit the required online License/ID/Permit Form.

–If the SSN fails to verify through the system, you will be required to provide proof from the list of acceptable documents.

–Two documents showing Georgia residency – where you live (e.g. utility bill, phone bill). These documents must show a street address and be dated within the past six months and in your name.

–Non-Citizens – must provide proof of identity and/or lawful status.

For more information visit the DDS website at https://dds.georgia.gov/ . Or stop by the Milledgeville DDS office, located at 200 Carl Vinson Road, to find out more information.

Please check your driver’s license to see if you need a Real ID and plan and prepare so the May deadline doesn’t come with surprises.