![Gov. Mike DeWine shows off his Real ID compliant driver's license at a press conference at John Glenn International Airport in Columbus on October 11, 2019. (His address and identifying details have been blurred out.) [Karen Kasler / Statehouse News Bureau]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4cce046/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2022%2F05%2FMike-DeWine-real-ID.jpg)
The countdown is on toward a final deadline for airline passengers to get the drivers’ licenses that will allow them to fly in the US without additional documentation.
On May 3, 2023, airlines will start requiring a Real ID compliant driver’s license to board a domestic airline – or a passport or military ID, along with a license.
Ohio Deputy Registrar Charlie Norman said the date of compliance has been changed several times since the Real ID law passed in 2005, most recently because of the COVID pandemic.
“The Department of Homeland Security says, they say they’re not pushing the deadline back again," Norman said. "So we really want to encourage people to take some time, figure out if you’re going to need this.”
An interactive list of required documents is available on the Ohio BMV website.
Just over 46% of Ohioans have Real ID compliant licenses, which are available to all licensed drivers, including 16 and 17-year-olds. That's slightly more than the 43% of all Americans who have a Real ID compliant license or credential.
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