How to Get a REAL ID in Texas

Have you gotten your REAL ID yet? If not — from one procrastinator to another — this is a PSA that your non-REAL ID driver’s license isn’t gonna cut it at airport security starting May 7, 2025 that's less than a month from now!

What Is REAL ID, Anyway?

For most purposes, REAL IDs and other state-issued ID cards aren’t that different. The main distinction is that, starting early May, state-issued IDs that aren’t considered REAL ID-compliant will no longer be accepted by the TSA.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act of 2005 as a way to increase air travel security post-9/11. The federal law sets minimum standards for the types of documents you have to show to get an ID card that’s considered acceptable for domestic air travel (i.e., a REAL ID), and it also lays out the types of anti-counterfeiting measures states should take when issuing the cards.

Implementation has been delayed … a lot. Enforcement of the law was supposed to start in 2008, but not all states offered REAL ID-compliant cards, and some pushed back against the requirements because of privacy or cost issues. The most recent delay was to provide states with more time to work through COVID-era backlogs.

How Can I Tell If My ID is Already a REAL ID?

Whether your ID was issued by Texas or another state, it should have a gold star in the upper corner if it’s considered REAL ID-compliant. Here's how that would look with Texas IDs.

Do I Need a REAL ID?

It depends. You’ll need one if you’re 18 or older and want to take a domestic flight, get into a federal government facility that requires ID, or enter a military base — unless you have a different form of federally-accepted ID that you can show instead, like a passport or military ID.

How Do I Get a REAL ID in Texas?

There are a few ways to start:

Non-commercial ID’s could cost you up to $33, plus renewal fees once it expires.