As federal deadline approaches, Illinois Secretary of State urges residents to ‘Get Real’

With a deadline approaching for U.S. citizens to obtain Real IDs, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is urging Illinois residents to “Get Real.”

Real ID is a federally standardized identification card that requires stricter proof of identity to obtain than the regular state driver’s licenses or ID cards. All Drivers Services facilities in Illinois are issuing Real IDs, except for mobile units and express facilities.

Last May, Giannoulias’ office launched the “Get Real Illinois” campaign to raise awareness about the requirements and deadline of the Real ID implementation. During a news conference Thursday, he continued to urge Illinoisans to obtain the new ID soon, as a federal deadline approaches.

On May 7, state-issued driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted as a valid form of identification for domestic flights or at certain federal facilities such as military bases or federal courthouses. Although U.S. citizens will need a Real ID to visit those facilities, they will not need a Real ID to fly domestically if they have a valid passport.

A Real ID is signified by a gold star on the upper right corner of the ID card.

“We know for sure that as May 7 approaches, demand for Real ID drivers’ licenses and state IDs will inevitably increase,” Giannoulias said. “What we don’t want are crazy, unmanageable lines at our facilities and major issues for individuals and their families at our airports.”

He said the news conference aimed to “clear up confusion” over the technicalities of the Real ID.

“Since the new administration has taken over in D.C., we’ve seen an influx of people who are confused about what real ID means and think they need it as a form of identification,” Giannoulias said. “And our point that we’re trying to hammer home today is that that’s not the case. You do not need a Real ID to drive a vehicle.”

Other qualms about the new identification have arisen, including issues around gender identity and the likelihood of the May 7 deadline holding firm. Although Giannoulias didn’t directly address the first issue, he said multiple times that Illinoisans should use their own discretion to decide if the Real ID is right for them.

“I don’t want to discourage anyone from getting a Real ID, but the fact is that not everyone needs a Real ID on May 7, and in some cases, might not ever need one,” Giannoulias said.

However, he did address growing skepticism that the deadline won’t hold firm.

“I know many of you are asking yourselves, after years of blown deadlines, delays and extensions, why should we trust the Department of Homeland Security,” he said. “The reasons for the delays have run the gamut, ranging from partisan politics to a lack of coordination among the federal government and various states.”

In direct response to the terrorist attacks of 9/11, Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005, which established “minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.” The effective date of the law has been extended multiple times, most recently to 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now I get asked on a regular basis, is this real ID deadline for real this time,” Giannoulias said. “The one thing that’s different this time around is that TSA just recently published a ‘final rule,’ rejecting the option for another extension and requiring the regulation to finally take effect.”.

TSA’s final rule, which they published on Jan. 13, 2025, stated the agency will begin enforcing the law on May 7, taking what they call a “phased enforcement approach” to implement enforcement until May 2027.

The Secretary of State’s website has an interactive checklist where Illinoisans can find out what documents they need to obtain a Real ID. The required documents include proof of identity, proof of full Social Security number, and two documents providing proof of current address.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.