REAL ID deadline extended to October 2021

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today that it is extending the REAL ID deadline enforcement one-year from the current October 1, 2020, deadline to October 1, 2021. Homeland Security will also utilize the additional time to modernize REAL ID implementation.

Approximately 25% or 152,000 North Dakota residents have received a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card. “We are grateful that the Department of Homeland Security has extended the REAL ID deadline,” says Gov. Doug Burgum. “The health and safety of North Dakotans is our number one priority during the COVID-19 pandemic and this is one more step to help reduce spread of the virus.”

The federal REAL ID Act was passed to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards, while inhibiting the ability of terrorists and others to evade detection by using fraudulent identification. Beginning Oct. 1, 2021, all travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant form of identification to board a commercial flight or gain access to secure federal facilities, including military bases, nuclear facilities and some federal offices.