Getting on an airplane in 2025 will require REAL ID or passport

Published 9:00 am Wednesday, December 4, 2024

This holiday season will be the last one before new airport security measures go into effect, requiring Oregonians to show a passport or a REAL ID driver’s license to board a flight in the United States.

The deadline is May 7, 2025, for Oregonians age 18 and older to acquire a REAL ID in order to fly domestically.

A valid U.S. passport, passport card or military ID also can be used as alternatives to REAL ID.

So far, about one-third of Oregon’s 3.7 million residents with a driver’s license, instruction permit or identification card have chosen to upgrade to REAL ID, which became available in July 2020, according to a recent Oregon Public Broadcasting article. About half of Oregonians have a U.S. passport.

People can get a REAL ID at an Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicles office.

A REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license, instruction permit or identification card that meets federal security standards set by the REAL ID Act of 2005 to increase the integrity and security of the credentials, according to Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services.

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 new cards cannot be obtained online. People will have to visit a DMV office and bring along original documents to prove their identity, date of birth, residence address and lawful status in the United States.

Two proofs of address from two different sources and not for a post office box are required. The proofs can include the envelop of a letter mailed to one’s home.

People seeking the new ID must bring originals or certified copies of their documents; electronic or photocopies are not acceptable.

Some U.S. passports or passport cards may not verify through the national verification system, according to the DMV, which suggests that people come prepared with additional proof of identity, such as a birth certificate.

People also will have to provide a Social Security number, or proof that they are not eligible for one. People don’t have to bring in their physical Social Security card, so long as they know their Social Security number. DMV staff can verify with the Social Security Administration that a person’s current legal name matches.

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. One a person has a REAL ID, you can renew or replace it online in the future.