Deadline Approaching: Ohio Residents Need To Get A Real ID Now

The Midwest has introduced new licenses over the past year that many residents are making the switch to, and in some cases may need to do certain things, like accessing Canada and flying.

A recent report pointed out that Michigan residents would need to apply for a real compliant ID by 2025, and that's also the case for Ohio residents, as their Government website indicates the change will be taking effect in early May of 2025:

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Beginning May 7, 2025, U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights and access certain federal facilities. Consider renewing early if you want to have a driver license or identification card that is federally compliant.

There's A Big Difference Between A Compliant and Standard Card

While the Compliant card meets national travel security requirements, of a federally-compliant form of ID needing to be required to fly commercially or to access a federal facility or military base in Ohio, the standard license does not meet national travel security requirements, as the government indicates:

A Standard Card will need to be used in conjunction with a passport or other acceptable documents approved by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in order to fly commercially or to access a federal facility or military base.

Luckily there are still 14 months left, but knowing how we operate, it may be wise to take care of it now, before everyone forgets and then it turns into a giant cluster mess towards the deadline. Hopefully, the renewal process goes smoothly and there will be no confusion when they go official.