The MVC is scheduled to start issuing Real ID licenses, similar to the one shown above, at agencies in spring 2019, officials said. A start date hasn’t been set.

If you don’t need to get a Real ID license before your license expires, don’t make an additional trip to the agency, officials said.

At the moment, state issued driver’s licenses and ID cards are valid for identification at airports and federal buildings until Oct. 10, 2019, due to an extension granted to N.J. on Oct. 5, said DHS officials.

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The final federal deadline for all states to be in compliance is October 2020.

Real ID was approved in 2005 as a response to the 9-11 terror attacks to make identification accepted at the airport more secure and harder to forge. If you fly and use your license for identification at the airport, you will need a license that meets Real ID standards once the final federal deadline passes.

Licenses from states that don’t comply won’t be accepted at airports, meaning those travelers will have to use another form of ID, such as a U.S. Passport or military ID, even for domestic air travel.

All states must offer driver’s licenses and ID cards that comply with federal Real ID security standards by October 2020.

It is not mandatory for drivers to get a Real ID license, said U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials. They’ll still be able to get a non-compliant license after the deadline, but that license will not be accepted at the airport or to enter certain federal buildings, officials said.

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