Americans are scrambling to obtain a state-issued REAL ID in order to travel by plane ahead of a federal deadline next month, which comes after states from coast to coast changed their laws surrounding driver’s licenses to permit illegal immigrants to drive. 

Americans will need to obtain a REAL ID, which is a federally-compliant driver’s license or other identification that meets higher standards than state-issued licenses, in order to easily travel by air, the Department of Homeland Security explains on its website. Only legal U.S. citizens or residents can obtain the identification card, while valid U.S. passports can also still be used instead of a REAL ID for domestic air travel. 

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to heighten security requirements for driver’s licenses in response to the attacks on 9/11. Though some states began complying with the law more than a decade ago, enforcement for all states had been repeatedly delayed due to the pandemic, DMV backlogs, as well as some states, such as South Carolina, initially refusing to comply. 

The move to officially enforce REAL IDs at the national level for domestic air travel comes after 19 states and Washington, D.C., put laws on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. 

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The states, which stretch from New York and New Jersey to California and Washington state, changed their laws in order to allow illegal immigrants to drive freely to work, while also ensuring they meet driving skill requirements and could obtain car insurance to bolster road safety, various liberal lawmakers and immigrant advocacy groups said as they rallied support for the law changes.

“Expanding access to driver’s licenses is critical for the safety of New Jerseyans and a step toward building a stronger and fairer New Jersey for all,” New Jersey Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy, for example, said in 2019 after signing the Garden State’s legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses. 

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 “Allowing residents the opportunity to obtain driver’s licenses regardless of their immigration status will decrease the number of uninsured drivers and increase safety on our roads. I thank my partners in the Legislature for sending this important bill to my desk,” he added. 

Just a few months after New Jersey’s 2021 law change, the state issued 100,000 new permits, a 65% jump compared to the same three-month period in years prior, NJ Spotlight News reported at the time. 

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New Jersey is among the states that have reported long wait times at DMVs as residents scramble to obtain a REAL ID to fly ahead of the May 7 deadline. 

The states that allow illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses include: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Washington state had a law on the books allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses since 1993, National Conference of State Legislatures data show, while most states, such as Illinois and California, began changing their laws starting in 2012. 

In Massachusetts in 2022, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed legislation allowing illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, citing that local DMVs did not have the ability to verify the validity of foreign documents and that it would overall weaken the validity of state driver’s licenses. 

“I cannot sign this legislation because it requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue state credentials to people without the ability to verify their identity. The Registry does not have the expertise or ability to verify the validity of many types of documents from other countries,” Baker said at the time. “Consequently, a standard Massachusetts driver’s license will no longer confirm that a person is who they say they are.” 

Massachusetts ultimately allowed illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses through a ballot initiative. 

Domestic air travelers who are in the nation illegally are required to present a valid and up-to-date photo ID to board a flight, and can show documents such as a driver’s license, a current foreign passport, a military ID or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) Employment Authorization Card, and other forms of photo IDs, according to various immigrant advocacy groups. 

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The Trump administration, which has been on an illegal immigration deportation blitz, revealed in a memo last week that the REAL ID requirement will further crack down on illegal aliens moving freely around the country. 

A Department of Homeland Security memo exclusively obtained by Fox Digital last week outlined that part of the motivation for the Trump administration to enforce the REAL ID law is to prevent those in the country illegally from flying – unless they are looking to self-deport on an international flight.

“Under Biden, illegal aliens used non-compliant IDs from sanctuary cities to board flights, but REAL ID’s higher security standards make it nearly impossible to forge legitimate documents, ensuring only verified travelers can fly,” the memo states. 

“This closes the gaping vulnerabilities Biden’s policies created, preventing criminals and potential terrorists from exploiting our aviation system, as seen during 9/11 when fraudulent IDs enabled attacks,” the memo continues.

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The agency emphasized that the measure prevents people in the country illegally from traveling within the U.S.

“DHS and TSA are clear, the only place an illegal alien should be flying is home. Under Secretary Kristi Noem’s leadership, illegal aliens will be barred from domestic flights, with one exception: illegal aliens self-deporting on international flights will be allowed to board without a REAL ID, encouraging their exit from the U.S.,” it states.

While many conservatives backed the REAL ID Act, both in 2005 and now, some have said it bolsters the oversight “Big Brother” holds over the country. 

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“Evidently, existing ID requirements for American citizens just aren’t adequate now, so Big Brother is forcing us through more hoops for the ‘right’ to travel within our own country,” former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin posted to X. 

“If you think REAL ID is about election integrity, you’re going to be sorely disappointed. Someone has lied to you, or you’re engaged in wishful thinking. Please don’t shoot the messenger,” Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X last week. 

“REAL ID is a 2005 George Bush-era Patriot Act overreach that went completely unenforced until Trump got into office. Let me guess: he’s playing 4D chess and I should just go along with it?” Massie wrote in another post. 

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President Donald Trump, under his first administration, pushed back the REAL ID October 2020 deadline as the pandemic raged. The Biden administration’s DHS established the May 7, 2025, deadline in 2022. 

Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, told Fox News Digital in a statement last week: “REAL IDs make identification harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. 81% of air travelers hold REAL ID-compliant or acceptable IDs. DHS will continue to collaborate with state, local, and airport authorities to inform the public, facilitate compliance, curb wait times and prevent fraud.”

“DHS responds to official correspondence through official channels,” McLaughlin added.

Fox News Digital’s Cameron Arcand and Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.