Will your license fly? Kentucky is urging everyone to ask themselves that question as less than a year remains before federal REAL ID Act enforcement starts next May.

That’s when a REAL ID state-issued driving or identity credential or another federally accepted form of REAL ID, like a passport, will be required for air travel checkpoints and access to military bases and federal buildings that require identification.

So now’s the time for Kentuckians to make sure they have a form of REAL ID to ensure they can get to where they need to go without a snag in their plans.

What is REAL ID?

REAL ID is a form of federally-approved identification. It is the product of a federally-mandated program striving to increase security that came about as a result of 9/11.

When Do I Need One?

Beginning May 7, 2025, your driver’s license or ID card must be REAL ID compliant — it displays a star in the upper right corner — to be accepted at airport security checkpoints to board a commercial domestic flight, for military base entry, or for entry to federal buildings currently requiring a form of identification. Other forms of identification such as a current U.S. passport, a U.S. passport card, a permanent resident card or a Department of Defense issued ID may also serve as a form of REAL ID. To view the complete list, click the link.

https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification

If you prefer the convenience of using your Kentucky driver’s license or ID card for such access, then you will need a REAL ID version of your license.

How Do I Get a Kentucky Real ID?

You may choose to get a Kentucky REAL ID version of your driver’s license, permit or identification card. It requires an initial in-person visit to one of Kentucky’s 33 Driver Licensing Regional Offices, at which time you will be required to present the following documents:

• Proof of Identity: A valid passport, certified birth certificate or permanent resident card, for example.
• Proof of Social Security: Original Social Security card, or a recent W-2 or 1099 tax form.
• Two Proofs of Residency: Recent utility or medical bills or a salary or bank statement with your address and name clearly showing (your current driver’s license or ID card may serve as one proof of residence provided the address on it is current).

Note that the above documents would be in addition to any documents that you are required to present for CDL renewal.

Go to realidky.com and take the IDocument Guide Quiz to determine what documents YOU need to bring.

To locate a Driver Licensing Regional Office near you and to schedule an appointment (walk-in visitors are welcome but are first come, first served), go to drive.ky.gov. Any Driver Licensing Regional Office across the state can serve any Kentuckian regardless of where they live.

When Should I Apply and How Much Does It Cost?

A REAL ID driver’s license is $24 for four years or $48 for eight years. A Real ID identification card is $14 for four years and $28 for eight years. CDL pricing, detailing REAL ID costs with various endorsements, may be found online at realidky.com.

If you will be within your renewal window (you may renew licenses or IDs up to six months before the expiration date) leading up to next year’s enforcement date, you should wait and renew then. If your renewal window does not fall before the enforcement date of May 7, 2025, and you want a REAL ID, you may upgrade your standard license or ID card for $15 which will maintain your current card’s expiration date. While a REAL ID license can be requested anytime, even after enforcement begins, we strongly advise having another form of REAL ID (like a passport) if you have to fly unexpectedly within the U.S.

Any Other Important Information?

Don’t find yourself at an airport checkpoint on May 7, 2025, or thereafter without the required form of REAL ID and unable to proceed. We encourage all Kentuckians to make a plan now for obtaining a form of REAL ID to be used beginning May 7, 2025.

There is a wealth of information available at realidky.com, so make a visit to the website part of your plan.