“The Real ID requirement bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists,” said Adam Stahl, TSA senior official performing the duties of the administrator, in an April press release. “TSA will implement REAL ID effectively and efficiently, continuing to ensure the safety and security of passengers while also working to minimize operational disruptions at airports.”
Texas began issuing REAL IDs in 2016, and they’re marked by a little gold star in the top right-hand corner. Most Texans have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card, and according to TSA, 81% of all travelers have a state-issued REAL ID over the alternative Standard ID. The only difference in their issuance is the qualifying laundry list of residency-proving paperwork brought to the DMV when you initially apply for an identification card.
For a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card, the state requires proof of citizenship or lawful presence, proof of Texas residency, proof of identity and a Social Security number. If you cannot present all four items, but still meet certain qualifications, you are issued a standard license, which is still good for driving, voting, entering age-restricted venues and until May 7, boarding flights.
Organizations have critiqued the REAL ID Act since its passage for its alleged racist origins, but without strict enforcement, it has not caused great concern. But now that the Trump administration has dropped the hammer, outrage has ensued.
Apparently I’ve been living under a rock…
— Daniel Aaron Webster ⭐️ (@pastorwebby) May 5, 2025
I learned last night that #RealID is a thing… and starting Wednesday, I can’t fly without it.
I googled a bit, and it’s been in the works since 2005! 🤷🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/9ju9ZUeYbK
While the TSA certifies that the REAL ID Act does not create a federal database of identification and that each state will remain autonomous in the distribution and processing of their respective identification cards, some people say the act still creates a “de facto” federal catalogue of citizens.
“If fully implemented, the law would facilitate the tracking of data on individuals and bring government into the very center of every citizen’s life,” reads a page on the American Civil Liberties Union dedicated to the act. “By definitively turning driver’s licenses into a form of national identity documents, Real ID would have a tremendously destructive impact on privacy.”
Aside from national privacy concerns, the act plainly stretches an already thin Texas Department of Public Safety.
"We have not kept up with the growth in population in Texas,” said Col. Freeman Martin, DPS director, in a video released in December 2024. “We face more threats than we’ve ever faced, and we ask more of our people than we’ve ever asked.”
The department requested $229 million ahead of this legislative session to hire 1,224 additional staff.
“In the large cities, we struggle with staffing… To address the staffing issues, we're working with temporary agencies and we're trying to streamline processes,” said Martin.
If you do not have a REAL ID, the TSA will accept some other forms identification, such as a passport from the United States or a foreign country, traveler cards like NEXUS or a federally recognized tribal ID card.
If you do not have a REAL ID card and plan on flying in the near future, you might want to consider making an appointment as soon as possible. The online ID renewal system is not available for residents upgrading a standard ID to a REAL ID. The DPS operates on an appointment-only basis, and the largest DPS office in the county, the Dallas South Mega Center, is booked out until mid-July at the earliest. Other DPS offices within the county are booked well into August and, in some cases, September.
Once you’ve filed all your paperwork, you can expect a lengthy wait until your physical card comes in the mail. Temporary paper licenses are not accepted as REAL ID-compliant identifications by the TSA. The wait for a physical card is supposed to take two to three weeks, but recent delays have added weeks to that timeline. Receiving your ID in the mail can now take more than two months.
Martin anticipated the enforcement of the REAL ID Act and cautioned about the additional wait times it would add to existing delays with DPS.
“If the current staffing limitations persist, unanswered calls and emails are projected to rise, delaying services to customers, and leaving them frustrated,” the request states. “This could translate into missed appointments, delays in obtaining essential documents and ultimately, a decline in public trust in the state's ability to deliver efficient services.”
