DHS Extends Deadline To Obtain REAL ID By 19 Months

Citing “circumstances related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that it would extend the deadline to acquire a REAL ID by 19 months, from October 1, 2021, to May 3, 2023.

In a statement released on Tuesday, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said the extension “will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or identification card.”