Real ID deadline on May 7: What if you already have an Enhanced ID?

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Is EDL interchangeable with Real ID?

A standard driver’s license will not be enough for anyone who is 18 years or older to fly domestically. However, according to the Department of Homeland Security, residents of New York, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington and Vermont have not much to worry about. The agency stated, “Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs) issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont are considered acceptable alternatives to REAL ID–compliant cards. Most EDLs do not contain the star marking, and this is acceptable.”

Moreover, the DMV has made the difference between an EDL and a REAL ID very clear in New York. According to its guidance, “A REAL ID is optional and is not needed for voting, driving, or receiving federal benefits.”

Thus, citizens who possess EDLs are not required a separate REAL ID. These enhanced IDs are also the only state-issued IDs which allow people to enter back in the country from Canada, Mexico and certain other Caribbean countries via land or sea, unlike REAL IDs, as reported by Newsweek.

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Can anyone travel without a REAL ID?

In case of failure to obtain any of the compliant IDs by the set deadline, travellers will still be able to fly domestically with the help of a valid US passport or DHS Trusted Traveler card such as Global Entry, NEXUS, or SENTRI, as reported by Newsweek. According to TSA guidelines, children below the age of 18 can travel without a REAL ID, accompanied by an adult with valid identification.

Federal officials have also highlighted that the REAL ID Act is not a national identification system. DHS states, “There is no federal database. Each jurisdiction continues to issue its own unique license, maintains its own records, and controls who gets access to those records and under what circumstances”.

Key points to know before the deadline

Time is running out for anyone who still has a standard ID that does not match the ranks of a REAL ID. As the deadline approaches, DMV offices are facing increased wait lines. Meanwhile, the ones who hold an Enhanced ID from one of the issuing states have nothing to worry about.

It is important to note that federal agencies including the likes of DHS and the Transportation Security Administration will allow access to federal facilities such as the TSA security checkpoints only to the travellers who will have a state-issued ID which meets the REAL ID standards.

Both, EDLs and REAL ID will not allow travellers to fly beyond domestic, they will require their passports to board an international flight.