The federal government has extended the deadline for requiring the Real ID or enhanced license needed to board federally regulated commercial aircraft or accessing federal facilities and nuclear power plants.
“Due to circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the national emergency declaration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as directed by President Donald J. Trump, is extending the REAL ID enforcement deadline beyond the current Oct. 1, 2020 deadline,” Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a release.
“I have determined that states require a 12-month delay and that the new deadline for REAL ID enforcement is Oct. 1, 2021,” Wolf said. “DHS will publish a notice of the new deadline in the Federal Register in the coming days.”
Wolf said the governmental response to the spread of the coronavirus necessitated the delay.
“Our state and local partners are working tirelessly with the administration to flatten the curve and, therefore, we want to remove any impediments to response and recovery efforts,” Wolf said. “States across the country are temporarily closing or restricting access to DMVs (Departments of Motor Vehicles). This action will preclude millions of people from applying for and receiving their REAL ID.
“Extending the deadline will also allow the department to work with Congress to implement needed changes to expedite the issuance of REAL IDs once the current health crisis concludes,” he added. “Protecting both the health and national security of the American people continues to be the top priority for the president of the United States and the Department of Homeland Security.”