Idaho REAL ID Deadline: Here’s Who Needs One and Who Doesn’t

✈️ Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, enforcement was originally scheduled to begin in 2008

✈️ Enforcement has been delayed several times for reasons ranging from pushback to comply to the COVID-19 Pandemic

✈️ A REAL ID option wasn't available in Idaho until 2018

It’s been nearly 20 years since the federal government passed the REAL ID act. After two-decades of talking about bringing Idaho’s Drivers License and ID cards into compliance, the deadline is almost here. 

READ MORE: TSA Stopping "Cat-Eyes" From Traveling on Idaho Flights 

What Is the REAL ID Act?

Do you remember a time where you could walk into the airport, zip through a metal detector and wander around the concourse without a boarding pass? That all changed after 9/11. By November 2001, the federal government created the TSA. They took over screening airport guests, implemented strict restrictions about what could travel in luggage and only permitted ticketed passengers past the security checkpoint. While security lines can be a pain, we all understand why those procedures were put into place. 

The REAL ID Act was born out of the same desire to protect travelers. About four years after the TSA was created, the 9/11 Commission recommended the REAL ID act. The idea was for all state-issued identification cards and driver’s license to meet the same minimum security standards. With those in place, they believed it would be harder for terrorists like the ones involved in 9/11 to obtain travel documents. The act would bar people from getting through TSA security or entering federal buildings with a non-compliant, state issued ID. 

Congress passed the Real ID act in 2005, but planned on giving states three years to get their IDs up to standards. Many states, including Idaho, refused to participate so the deadline kept getting punted down the road. The rules are now set to take effect on May 7, 2025.

Idaho didn’t start offering the Star Card, our state’s REAL ID compliant option, until 2018. As of March 1, about 54% of Idaho licenses and IDs are Star Cards. With the deadline so close, you may be wondering “Do I really need a REAL ID?”

Here’s Who Needs a Star Card and Who Doesn’t in Idaho?

The answer is no, you are not under any legal obligation to upgrade your license to an Idaho Star Card. As long as it hasn’t expired, the regular old license that you have now is sufficient enough to do things like drive your car and purchase age restricted items like alcohol.

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However, if you enjoy traveling via commercial airlines you will need a different form of identification to hand the TSA agent at Idaho’s airports. Once the rules are in effect, they can’t allow you to enter the checkpoint using non-compliant state ID. According to the TSA’s website, these documents are sufficient: 

• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Same goes for entering federal buildings where ID is currently required for entry.