If your license or ID has a star, you are REAL ID ready

Travelers will need a compliant document to fly in U.S. starting May 7, 2025

LANSING, Mich. – As the federal deadline approaches, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said more than 73% of people with a Michigan driver’s license or ID have already upgraded to a REAL ID. Beginning May 7, all U.S. airlines will require a REAL ID-compliant document to board a domestic flight, and travelers without one could be delayed. 

Michiganders can obtain a REAL ID, which is a license or ID marked by a star, by going to Michigan.gov/REALID to schedule an appointment at any Secretary of State office. The scheduling system will walk them through documents they will need to bring. 

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson encourages residents who do not have a REAL ID but may need one to apply soon, as it will take weeks to receive in the mail. 

“Michigan is well above the national average in compliance with the REAL ID standard. If your license or ID has the star, you are REAL ID ready,” Secretary Benson said. “We want to ensure Michiganders are aware of the approaching deadline and can take the steps needed to avoid possible inconvenience and delays. The Michigan Department of State is ready and available to help Michigan residents easily convert their driver’s license to a REAL ID ahead of this deadline.”

Those who provide proper documentation will be issued a license or ID in Michigan’s new design, which features a REAL ID star indicator in the gold shape of Michigan. Older blue and green licenses and IDs that have the REAL ID star in a gold circle on them are also compliant. 

The federal REAL ID Act of 2005 was passed in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and requires higher standards for identification. When the law goes into full effect May 7, 2025, a standard Michigan driver’s license or ID card no longer will be adequate to board an aircraft for a domestic flight or to enter military bases, nuclear power plants, or certain other federal facilities. 

Many people have an ID that meets federal REAL ID standards, such as a valid U.S. passport, a Trusted Traveler card, or an enhanced driver’s license. Participation in the program is voluntary and anyone who doesn’t want a REAL ID will be issued a standard license or ID that can’t be used for federal identification purposes. 

Upgrading a standard license or ID to a REAL ID is free if done during the normal renewal period. Otherwise, a card correction fee of $9 for a driver’s license or $10 for an ID is charged. 

As of March 21, 73.5 percent of Michigan driver’s licenses and state ID cards are REAL ID-compliant. That includes enhanced driver’s licenses and IDs, which are REAL ID-compliant and can be used to cross the border into the United States from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean by land or sea. The indicator for an enhanced license or ID in Michigan is a U.S. flag icon.  

When applying for a REAL ID, you will need to bring: 

• Your driver’s license or ID.  
• Your certified birth certificate, with a raised seal or stamp issued by a governmental agency; your valid, unexpired U.S. passport; or an approved citizenship or legal presence document. (Faxes and photocopies won’t be accepted.)  
• If your name differs from what is on your birth certificate, bring certified documents, such as marriage licenses or court orders, for every time your name has changed.  

The Michigan Department of State has been working with airports in Michigan for years to provide signage and other reminders to travelers about the upcoming deadline. The department also includes reminders about REAL ID on driver’s license and ID renewal notices and has completed several marketing campaigns about REAL ID over the past six years. Learn more at Michigan.gov/REALID. 


Editors: Sample REAL ID graphic

 

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