Deadline looms to get REAL ID driver’s license in New York state: What you need to know

New Yorkers have less than six months to get their federally compliant REAL ID or Enhanced ID/driver’s license from the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

By May 7, 2025, all New Yorkers must have one of these IDs — usually in the form of a driver’s license — in order to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities if they do not have a passport.