Beginning May 7, 2025, residents of every U.S. state and territory will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, or another form of ID accepted by the Transportation Security Administration, to board federally regulated domestic flights.
Also beginning May 7, 2025, individuals must present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, or another form of acceptable ID, to access federal facilities and to enter nuclear power plants.
Refer to the questions and answers below to learn more.
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“REAL ID” comes from the REAL ID Act of 2005, a federal law that focused on fraud protection, anti-terrorism, and driver license and nondriver license identification card (ID card) security. The REAL ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and ID cards and prohibits federal agencies from accepting for official purposes driver licenses and ID cards from states that do not meet these standards. Missouri achieved full implementation of its REAL ID program in 2019.
Beginning May 7, 2025, residents of every U.S. state and territory will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, or another form of ID accepted by the Transportation Security Administration, to board federally regulated domestic flights. Also beginning May 7, 2025, individuals must present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, or another form of acceptable ID, to access federal facilities and to enter nuclear power plants.
It depends. Effective May 7, 2025, you will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant driver license or nondriver ID card, or another form of identification accepted by the Transportation Security Administration, to board domestic flights. Also beginning May 7, 2025, you will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, or another form of acceptable ID, to access federal facilities and to enter nuclear power plants.
You are not required and likely do not need to obtain a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card if:
You can apply for a REAL ID-compliant driver license or nondriver ID card at one of Missouri’s more than 170 license office locations. You will be required to submit the following valid, original documents demonstrating proof of each item at the time you apply:
Additional documents will be required to verify an alternate mailing address or name change, if your current full legal name is different from the name on your identity or lawful status document
Utilize the Department's interactive guide to ensure you have the documents required to apply for your REAL ID.
IMPORTANT: When applying for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, please allow time for its processing and mailing (typically 10-15 days). If you need to fly on May 7, 2025, and you wait to renew until April 30, 2025, you will not receive your REAL ID-compliant license or ID card in time to fly. Consider renewing no later than April 1, 2025, if you will need to fly on or soon after May 7, 2025, to allow sufficient time for delivery of your license or ID card.
Missouri's REAL ID-compliant driver licenses and nondriver ID cards have a star in the upper right-hand corner. A license or ID card that is not compliant with REAL ID will have "NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES" in the upper right-hand corner. Licenses and ID cards, whether they are compliant with the REAL ID Act or not, may also be marked as "LIMITED-TERM" based on the type of document presented as verification of lawful status.
Missouri residents were able to apply for a REAL ID-compliant Missouri driver license or nondriver ID card beginning March 25, 2019. Please note: Missouri licenses and ID cards issued prior to March 25, 2019, will afford you the same access as a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card until May 7, 2025.
IMPORTANT: When applying for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, please allow time for its processing and mailing (typically 10-15 days). If you need to fly on May 7, 2025, and you wait to renew until April 30, 2025, you will not receive your REAL ID-compliant license or ID card in time to fly. Consider renewing no later than April 1, 2025, if you will need to fly on or soon after May 7, 2025, to allow sufficient time for delivery of your license or ID card.
Voting or registering to vote
State purposes
No. The REAL ID Act does not invalidate any previously issued Missouri driver license or nondriver ID card. It does not affect current use of your license or ID card for the purpose of driving, voting or registering to vote, state purposes, or for age verification.
Yes, effective May 7, 2025, if you do not hold another form of identification that meets federal requirements.
Federal agencies have the authority to set their own minimum security access requirements and, if desired, decide not to accept noncompliant marked cards before the May 7, 2025 deadline.
For example, The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently finalized an update to its DoD-wide installation security policy and is in the process of no longer accepting noncompliant marked cards across all of its facilities and installations. However, DoD will continue to accept state-issued noncompliant unmarked "legacy" cards until the May 7, 2025 deadline.
To ensure you have the proper identification, DHS recommends that you contact the federal agency you plan to visit in advance, to obtain information regarding identification requirements.
As a reminder, the REAL ID Act applies when an individual presents a state-issued driver’s license or identification card to a federal agency for an “official purpose” as defined in the Act and regulations, such as boarding a federally regulated commercial aircraft. Although a REAL ID card may not be necessary for other purposes such as driving, voting, banking, or applying for benefits or employment, we recommend checking with the relevant state, local, or commercial entities regarding their specific identification requirements.
For more information about the REAL ID Act, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website at dhs.gov/real-id.
The transaction and processing fees for a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID card, new or renewal, are the same as for a license or ID card that is noncompliant with REAL ID. Click here for detailed fee information.
You may also apply for an early duplicate license or ID card outside of your regular renewal period (which is six months prior to the expiration of your license or ID card). Missouri law allows for a one-time waiver of the duplicate transaction fee for persons who have not been issued a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card. License office processing fees, however, will not be waived and are $6 (for a prior three-year issuance) or $12 (for a prior six-year issuance). Personal information may be changed as part of a duplicate one-time waiver transaction, but if you are applying for a different class of licensure or to add any endorsements or restrictions, the one-time waiver will not apply.
If your current Missouri-issued driver license or nondriver ID card:
IMPORTANT: When applying for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, please allow time for its processing and mailing (typically 10-15 days). If you need to fly on May 7, 2025, and you wait to renew until April 30, 2025, you will not receive your REAL ID-compliant license or ID card in time to fly. Consider renewing no later than April 1, 2025, if you will need to fly on or soon after May 7, 2025, to allow sufficient time for delivery of your license or ID card.
No. Under Missouri law, applying for a REAL ID-compliant driver license or nondriver ID card is your choice. Issuance of a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card is not mandatory.
May 7, 2025. Prior to May 7, 2025, you can continue to use your current Missouri-issued driver license or nondriver ID card, regardless of whether it is REAL ID-compliant.
The REAL ID Act does not invalidate any previously issued Missouri driver license or nondriver ID card. It does not affect current uses of your license or ID card for purposes such as driving, voting or registering to vote, other state purposes, accessing federal facilities that do not require a person to present identification, age verification, and more.
The REAL ID Act does not invalidate any previously issued Missouri driver license. It does not affect current uses of your license or ID card for purposes such as driving, voting or registering to vote, other state purposes, accessing federal facilities that do not require a person to present identification, age verification, and more.
No. The issuance term for a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card is the same as that of a not REAL ID-compliant, as well as a license or ID card that was issued prior to March 25, 2019. The issuance term will continue to be based on your date of birth, type of license or ID card, lawful status end date, and certain commercial driver license endorsements. Applicants applying for a duplicate license or ID card will be issued the same expiration date as that of their prior license or ID card on file, regardless of whether it was REAL ID-compliant.
No. You cannot hold more than one valid REAL ID-compliant driver license or nondriver ID card at the same time. For example, if you apply for a REAL ID-compliant Missouri license and also hold or want to apply for an ID card, the ID card will be issued as noncompliant. If you are transferring to Missouri from another state and hold a REAL ID-compliant license or ID card, you must surrender any previously issued license or ID card.
IMPORTANT: At the time you apply, Missouri will initiate inquiries to determine if you hold a valid license or ID card in any other state(s). Upon issuance of a Missouri license, ID card or permit notification, notice of your Missouri application will be sent to the prior state(s) of issuance; this may result in the cancellation of all license and ID privileges in the prior state(s) of issuance.
The REAL ID Act requires state licensing agencies to:
Yes. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security declared Missouri to be fully compliant with the REAL ID Act and regulation in April 2019. With this notification, federal agencies may accept any REAL ID-compliant card issued and continue to accept for official purposes Missouri-issued driver licenses and nondriver ID cards that are not REAL ID-compliant until May 7, 2025.
Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on December 5, 2022, that it was extending the May 3, 2023, REAL ID enforcement deadline until May 7, 2025. Read the full statement from DHS: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/12/05/dhs-announces-extension-real-id-full-enforcement-deadline.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) recently finalized an update to its DoD-wide installation security policy and is in the process of no longer accepting noncompliant marked cards across all of its facilities and installations. This means the military is in the process of no longer accepting driver licenses or nondriver identification cards marked as being noncompliant with REAL ID for the purposes of accessing a military base. This policy change impacts DoD installations in all states, not just Missouri.
Prior to May 7, 2025, military bases will accept licenses and ID cards marked as being REAL ID-compliant or Missouri licenses and ID cards issued prior to March 25, 2019, which have no REAL ID marking, compliant or noncompliant. In Missouri, a license or ID card that is noncompliant with REAL ID will have “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES” in the upper right-hand corner. Anyone attempting to access a military base with a Missouri-issued license or ID card marked as “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES” may be denied entry.
To ensure you have the proper identification, you should contact the military base you plan to visit in advance to obtain information regarding identification requirements.
This page will be updated with additional informational as necessary. For more information about the REAL ID Act, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security website at dhs.gov/real-id and the Transportation Security Administration's website at tsa.gov/real-id.
