NEW ORLEANS — Do you have a star on your Louisiana driver’s license? If not, there’s still time to get your REAL ID-compliant driver’s license with that star on it. But it’s better to get it sooner, rather than later.
Travelers who want to board an airplane for a flight will soon need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. If their driver’s license is not REAL ID-compliant, they will need another form of approved identification, such as a passport to board their flight or enter a secure federal facility or military base. The REAL ID driver’s license and identification card have a small star in the upper right corner to indicate they meet federal regulations that establish important security standards.
REAL ID goes into effect in nine months, starting on May 7, 2025, and the countdown is on!
“REAL ID is a coordinated effort across the country to improve the authenticity of driver’s licenses and identification cards,” says Arden Hudson, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the state of Louisiana. “The embedded security features inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
Louisiana residents have the option to upgrade to a REAL ID if their license does not currently have the star or stick with an older standard driver’s license. However, a standard credential—without the star—will not be valid to board a flight or to gain access to secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices. Also, if you wish to use your mobile driver’s license at the TSA checkpoint at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, your license must be a REAL ID license.
To get the REAL ID star, individuals will need to visit a Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles field office or Public Tag Agent location to prove U.S. citizenship and Louisiana residency. Required documents include one proof of identity (passport or U.S. birth certificate), proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens, two proofs of Louisiana residency, and a current driver’s license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state. Visit www.expresslane.org/REALID for an interactive REAL ID checklist. And general license information can be found at www.expresslane.org/License
Transportation Security Administration officers who staff the ticket document checking stations at airports will not allow travelers into the checkpoint without a REAL ID-compliant license or another form of acceptable ID beginning on May 7, 2025, because of a federal law (the REAL ID Act of 2005) that mandates that a REAL ID is needed for federal identification purposes.
Travelers will start to notice new signs at airports nationwide to remind people that REAL ID-compliant licenses or other acceptable forms of ID, such as a valid passport, federal government PIV card or U.S. military ID, will be mandatory for air travel beginning on May 7, 2025.
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