The Real ID Transition: Everything You Need to Know

By October 2020, all domestic travelers planning to use a driver’s license for ID will need to update to the new, most secure option. Getting the new ‘Real ID’ requires some extra steps and further documents, so it’s probably a smart idea to start getting your ducks in a row now. This new identification requirement is the last phase of the implementation of the Real ID Act. The Real ID Act is a law that was enacted after the September 11, 2001 attacks in an effort to tighten national standards for driver’s license and ID cards. The purpose of this movement is to reduce and eliminate forgery and fraudulent identification cards, and is the result of recommendations from the 9/11 commission because 18 out of the 19 September 11 hijackers obtained state IDs, some fraudulently.