President Trump on Monday said he will extend the Real ID
deadline due to the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis and the need for social
distance.
The deadline had been Oct. 1 for domestic airline passengers
to secure a Real ID driver’s license for use as identification at the airport. No
new implementation date has been set.
“We’re postponing the deadline for compliance with Real ID
requirements,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “At a
time when we’re asking Americans to maintain social distance, we do not want to
require people to go to their local DMV. We will be announcing the new deadline
very soon.”
The U.S. Travel Association, which has long warned that the
Oct. 1 deadline would leave many Americans unable to fly, applauded the delay
in implementation.
U.S. Travel CEO Roger Dow said, “The already difficult task
of bringing the country closer to Real ID compliance is now clearly impossible
due to the coronavirus crisis.”
Dow added, “We’ve asked the Department of Homeland Security
that the delay of the Real ID enforcement deadline remain in place until the
current economic environment improves and DHS can certify that access to air
travel will not be negatively impacted after Real ID enforcement begins.”
Real ID driver’s licenses must meet security standards laid
out in the Real ID Act of 2005. More data is required for the issuance of Real IDs, and compliant
IDs are to have security features intended to prevent tampering or
counterfeiting.