“If you already have a current U.S. passport or don’t need to fly within the U.S. in the next few months, you can wait to get your Real ID until you renew your California driver’s license or ID,” DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a press release. Some of the agency’s offices have reported long wait times as the deadline nears.

Yes. Travelers must have a REAL ID to fly domestically on or after May 7, 2025.

The deadline to obtain a Real ID is just one week away, prompting a surge of last-minute applicants at Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the Bay Area. Starting next Wednesday, a Real ID will be required for domestic flights in the United States,