Real ID gets real at Portland International Airport; deadline for new identification today

Published 12:29 pm Wednesday, May 7, 2025

By Geoff Pursinger and Dana Haynes

First it was a real deadline for the kind of identification that can get a person onboard a domestic flight.

But as of this morning, Real ID is really here.

Starting Wednesday, May 7, all U.S. flyers must have either a Real ID, a valid U.S. passport or military identification to fly domestically, or face challenges getting onboard their flights.

But as of April 7, only 36% of Oregonians — about 1.3 million people — had been issued Real ID cards, according to Oregon DMV. Another 1.7 million had opted not to get the card when they renewed their license, leaving about 650,000 people still in need as of that date.

Oregon DMV told KOIN 6 News that people without Real ID this week likely could go through extra security to get to their flights, and should arrive early to make sure they get through.

Wednesday saw calm crowds and average lines at Portland International Airport. The transition to Real ID might have been helped locally by the 2024 redesign of PDX, which reoriented the terminal building to shorten lines and wait times.

Real IDs are intended to make state-issued identification cards and driver’s licenses more secure. Congress approved Real ID plans in the years following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks as a way to tighten security for U.S. air travel. But the Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly pushed the implementation deadline back from its original 2008 target.

While some states offer Real ID cards for free, Oregon DMV charges a $30 fee, in addition to regular license fees.

Travelers without Real ID cards are still able to fly, but face significant delays as TSA workers verify their identity, according to TSA Federal Security Director for Oregon Kathleen McDonald.

Beyond airplanes, REAL ID also will be required to access certain federal facilities, such as military bases or nuclear plants.

REAL ID is not a passport, and it cannot be used for border crossings into Canada, Mexico or any other location outside of the United States. People traveling anywhere outside this country will need an unexpired passport.

The DMV offers an online documents guide to help people create a checklist of what they’ll need to bring. “Some documents, like a certified birth certificate, can take time to get if you no longer have one, so knowing ahead of time what documents to bring with you is important,” according to the DMV website.

Once people have gathered their documents, they can make an appointment to get the new ID. Appointments become available every day for 30 days out. If an appointment is cancelled one day or more in advance, it will become available.

People also can walk into any DMV without an appointment, so long as they have the proper documentation. Many people are in and out in less than an hour. People also can provide the front counter with their cell phone number and leave; staff will text them when their appointment is coming up.

The DMV will scan and store copies of the REAL ID documents for 10 years. Once people have a REAL ID, they can renew or replace it online in the future.

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