(The Center Square) – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is advising residents to avoid confusion about the federal government’s upcoming deadline to comply with the REAL ID mandate.
After May 7 of this year, federal law will require domestic travelers on commercial flights to have REAL ID-compliant identification.
Giannoulias said Thursday that the Federal ID Act was enacted in 2005 and meant to take effect in 2008. He said May 7 is a real deadline.
“The one thing that’s different this time around is that TSA just recently published a ‘final rule,’ rejecting the option for another extension and requiring the regulation to finally take effect,” Giannoulias said.
Giannoulias said there is no need to rush to get a REAL ID if you don’t need one.
“More than likely, you do not need a REAL ID by May 7. If you have a valid passport, you can fly on a domestic flight, no problem. Make sure that you need one, and if you do, please schedule an appointment,” Giannoulias said.
The secretary of state said he did not want to discourage anyone from getting a REAL ID, but he added not everyone would need one by May 7, and some people might not need one at all.
“You do not need a REAL ID to drive a vehicle. We’ve seen a ton of confusion across the state of Illinois,” Giannoulias said.
He added that the primary reason for Illinoisans over the age of 18 to obtain a REAL ID is to fly domestically on a commercial aircraft or visit certain federal facilities, such as a military base or federal courthouse as of May.
Giannoulias said individuals with a valid passport and those under the age of 18 will not need a REAL ID by May 7.
To get a Real ID, Giannoulias said it is necessary to visit a Driver and Motor Vehicle Services facility.
Libertarian Party of Illinois Chairman Jim Humay said there are privacy concerns about REAL ID.
“It infringes on civil liberties in the sense that it’s creating a de facto national ID,” Humay told The Center Square.
Humay noted that certain documents are required to get a REAL ID.
“Things like birth certificates, Social Security numbers, utility bills, proof of residency, that’s providing a lot of personal information to the state. Making it a requirement to travel by air is really a mandate that limits an individual’s ability to travel freely across the country,” Humay explained.
Humay said REAL ID has led to increased costs and inconveniences for taxpayers.
“If your ID doesn’t expire for a couple of years or your license doesn’t expire, you’re kind of forced to go ahead and renew that ahead of time. This disproportionately affects those that can least afford to pay for renewal fees, take time off of work, stand in line for hours to get this new ID. It creates a whole litany of issues when it comes to privacy, expense and freedom of movement,” Humay said.
Cato Institute senior fellow Pat Eddington said the federal government adopted some idiotic ideas after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.
“Obviously, the creation of the Department of Homeland Security is at the very top of that list, followed by a close second with the Transportation Security Administration and its creation,” Eddington told The Center Square.
Eddington said he would put REAL ID at number three.
“If anybody thinks a REAL ID is going to stop a terrorist attack, I’m sorry, they’re smoking crack. That’s what they’re doing,” Eddington said. “What measures like this really boil down to are population monitoring and control measures.”
Eddington expressed hope that President Donald Trump might abolish the TSA and demand that Congress repeal REAL ID.
Giannoulias’ office has experienced an uptick in REAL ID issuances with 628,279 issued in 2022, 864,240 in 2023 and 1.1 million in 2024. In January of 2025, the office issued 128,000 REAL IDs, a record for a single month.
