About REAL ID

The REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing certain federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on December 20, 2013 a phased enforcement plan for the REAL ID Act (the Act), as passed by Congress, that will implement the Act in a measured, fair, and responsible way.

Secure driver's licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards.

DHS is committed to enforcing the REAL ID Act in accordance with the phased enforcement schedule and regulatory timeframes. It has been 16 years since the REAL ID Act was passed and half of all the states have already met the REAL ID minimum standards.

The Act does not require individuals to present identification where it is not currently required to access a federal facility (such as to enter the public areas of the Smithsonian) nor does it prohibit an agency from accepting other forms of identity documents (such as a U.S. passport or passport card).

The Act’s prohibitions do not affect other uses of driver’s licenses or identification cards unrelated to official purposes as defined in the Act.

Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. These purposes are:

• Accessing certain federal facilities
• Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft
• Entering nuclear power plants

The enforcement date is May 3, 2023.

Federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, may only accept state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards as identification for purposes of accessing federal facilities - including TSA airport security checkpoints - if the license or card was issued by a REAL ID compliant state in accordance with the REAL ID security standards (meaning the license or card must include the REAL ID compliant star marking). Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDL) issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont are considered acceptable alternatives to REAL ID-compliant cards and will also be accepted for official REAL ID purposes. Most EDLs do not contain the star marking and this is acceptable.

DHS is working closely with all states and territories to provide assistance and guidance to achieve full compliance by the May 3, 2023 deadline. As of March 26, 2021, 55 states and territories are fully compliant with the REAL ID requirements, and all states are on track to begin issuing compliant licenses and IDs by the May 3, 2023 deadline.

Visit your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID. At a minimum, you must provide documentation showing: 1) Full Legal Name; 2) Date of Birth; 3) Social Security Number; 4) Two Proofs of Address of Principal Residence; and 5) Lawful Status.

States may impose additional requirements, so check with your state’s driver’s licensing agency website, before visiting them in person, for additional guidance and assistance.

Process for Venezuelans

 ALERT: Access to this process for Venezuelans is free. Neither the supporter nor the beneficiary is required to pay the U.S. government a fee for the application. Beware of any scams or potential exploitation by anyone who asks for money associated with application to this process.

On Oct. 12, 2022, the United States announced a new process that allows Venezuelan nationals and their immediate family members to come to the United States. This provides a safe and orderly way for nationals of Venezuela who are outside the United States and lack U.S. entry documents to be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for advance authorization to travel and a temporary period of parole for up to 2 years for urgent humanitarian reasons and significant public benefit. To participate in this process, Venezuelan nationals must:

• Have a supporter in the United States;
• Undergo and clear robust security vetting;
• Meet other eligibility criteria; and
• Warrant a favorable exercise of discretion.

Individuals participating in the process must have a supporter in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support for the duration of their parole in the United States.

The first step in the process is for the U.S.-based supporter to file a Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support, with USCIS for each Venezuelan national or immediate family member they seek to support, including minor children. The U.S. government will then vet the supporter to ensure that they are able to financially support the Venezuelan nationals they are agreeing to support.

Term	Definition
Supporter	An individual who holds lawful status in the United States or is a parolee or beneficiary of deferred action or Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) who has passed security and background vetting and demonstrated sufficient financial resources to receive, maintain, and support the individuals whom they commit to supporting for the duration of their stay in the United States. Examples of individuals who meet the supporter requirement include: U.S. citizens and nationals; Lawful permanent residents, lawful temporary residents, and conditional permanent residents; Nonimmigrants in lawful status (who maintain their nonimmigrant status and have not violated any of the terms or conditions of their nonimmigrant status); Asylees, refugees, and parolees; Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders; and Beneficiaries of deferred action (including deferred action for childhood arrivals) or DED.
Beneficiary	A Venezuelan national (or their immediate family member) who is outside the United States and who may be considered for parole under this process. Immediate family members in this process include: The spouse or common-law partner of a national of Venezuela; and Their unmarried child(ren) under the age of 21. NOTE: If a child is under 18, they must be traveling with a parent or legal guardian in order to use this process.

Who May be Considered for Advance Travel Authorization

To be considered for advance authorization to travel to the United States under this process, a beneficiary must:

• Be a national of Venezuela or be an immediate family member (spouse, common-law partner, or unmarried child under the age of 21) of an eligible Venezuelan and traveling with them;
• Possess a passport valid for international travel;
• Be outside the United States;
• Have a U.S.-based supporter who filed a Form I-134 on their behalf that USCIS has vetted and confirmed;
• Provide for their own commercial travel to a U.S. airport and final U.S. destination;
• Undergo and clear required screening and vetting;
• Not be a permanent resident or dual national of any country other than Venezuela, and not currently hold refugee status in any country;
  • This requirement does not apply to immediate family members (spouse, common-law partner, or unmarried child under the age of 21) of an eligible national of Venezuela who they are traveling with.
• Not be an unaccompanied child;
  • Children under the age of 18 must be traveling to the United States in the care and custody of their parent or legal guardian.
• Not have been ordered removed from the United States within the past 5 years or be subject to a bar based on a prior removal order;
• Not have crossed irregularly into the United States, between ports of entry, after Oct. 19, 2022;
• Not have unlawfully crossed the Mexican or Panamanian borders after Oct. 19, 2022; and
• Comply with all additional requirements, including vaccination requirements and other public health guidelines.

The supporter must complete and file Form I-134 with USCIS and be vetted by the U.S. government to protect against exploitation and abuse and to ensure that they are able to financially support the beneficiary they are agreeing to support.

Children under the age of 18 traveling without their parent or legal guardian are not eligible for advance authorization to travel or parole under this process. Upon arrival at a U.S. port of entry, a child who is not traveling with their parent or legal guardian may be transferred to the custody of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), as required by law under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008. For more information, please visit the HHS Unaccompanied Children webpage.

Since they are ineligible to pursue travel authorization under the process for Venezuelans, children who are not traveling with a parent or legal guardian but are coming to the United States to meet a parent or legal guardian may instead seek parole through the standard Form I-131 parole process. In the Form I-131 parole process, children who wish to travel without a parent or legal guardian will need written permission from all adults with legal custody of the child (including parents or legal guardians) to travel to the United States.

Evidence to accompany the Form I-131 will need to include the duration of the stay in the United States and evidence of relationship between the child and the parent or legal guardian in the United States. If the legal guardian is providing the written permission, the requestor must include proof of legal guardianship issued by a government authority. In addition, the application should include a statement about the relationship of the child to the person filing the Form I-131, and if they intend to provide care and custody of the child in the United States or reunite the child with a parent or legal guardian in the United States. For more information, please see our Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole page, which has information about the requirements for requesting parole for children.

You may request a fee waiver when submitting a Form I-131 for a child as described in the above paragraph. For more information on how to request a fee waiver, please see the Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver, webpage.