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National REAL ID Enforcement Begins May 7, 2025

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The REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards to improve their reliability and accuracy.

 

Starting May 7, 2025, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will only accept state-issued driver's licenses and identification (ID) cards that are compliant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) REAL ID Act .

How does this affect me?

  • Visiting a Federal Facility - when using a driver's license to access NIH or any federal facility, visitors must use a REAL ID compliant driver's license
  • Commercial Airline Flights - all U.S. travelers must be REAL ID compliant to board domestic flights.
  • Obtaining a New NIH PIV Card - existing staff or new employees using a driver's license to obtain a new PIV card, must ensure it is REAL ID compliant.

 

A REAL ID compliant license will have a star in the upper right-hand corner. For more information and to ensure your license is compliant, visit the DHS REAL ID information site.

This upcoming deadline also has implications for our VisitNIH protocols. A full list of approved forms of identification to access NIH campuses can be found at security.nih.gov.

Questions?

Resources and further details about the REAL ID Act can be found on the DHS REAL ID information site.

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