Idaho Residents Will Need a "Star Card" - REAL ID Driver's License - To Board a Flight in the U.S. Starting May 7, 2025

Idaho's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) says residents will need a "Star Card" - their version of the REAL ID driver's license that all other states are calling it - or a passport, or military ID - in order to board airline flights starting on May 7, 2025.

The previous deadline was May 3, 2023, but this deadline was extended by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) on Dec. 5. They announced an "Extension of REAL ID Enforcement Deadline."

Here is what an Idaho Star Card (i.e., the REAL ID driver's license) looks like:

Idaho's Star Card - a REAL ID compliant Driver's LicensePhoto byIdaho.gov

This shows a gold circle with a white star in the upper right-hand corner. That is the symbol that all states use to show that the holder has submitted all the necessary documents required by the REAL ID Act of 2005 to pass federal standards.

It essentially means that the person has proven their U.S. citizenship or has a lawful right to be in the U.S., including a Social Security number and two proofs of residency in Idaho.

Without that Star ID, or a passport or military ID you won't be able to fly in the U.S. or enter federal or military or nuclear facilities starting on the deadline.

Idaho's Star ID site is unique in that it says that as of Jan. 1, 2023, only 44% of the state has signed up for the Star Card.

Photo byID.gov

That means that 56% or over half of the state still needs to get signed up with a Star Card.

In addition, the state has a countdown clock. As of Jan. 12, 2023, it shows that there are 845 days left to get the Star Card - a REAL ID driver's license.

In other words, Idaho residents need to get on the ball and sign up for the Star Card driver's license.

Fortunately, the ID DMV website is very put together. It walks you through how to sign up.

What is Needed for Idaho Residents to Get a Star Card

The Star Card website from Idaho has a series of videos that describe the process of getting a REAL ID-compliant driver's license;

The site has a walk-through checklist of what you need to do.

1. First you need to provide evidence of your identity. You must document your date of birth, identity and lawful status or presence. This can be done with a valid U.S. unexpired passport, a birth certificate, or a list of other items detailed here.

2. Next, you check if you current full legal name is the same as on the identity document. You may have changed your name, or from marriage or divorce, it has changed. If so, you have to provide documents to the DMV that show this.

3. The next step is to bring proof of your Social Security Number (SSN). If you know your social security number, you can provide it verbally without the card. Various items you can show are the following:

Social Security card with your current legal name
W-2 form
Social Security Administration 1099 form
Non-Social Security Administration 1099 form
Pay stub or statement with your name and SSN on it

4. Lastly, you must present 2 forms of proof of your current legal residence in Idaho. This can be from any item on the following list on the site here, and includes utility bills, bank statements, existing driver's licenses, leases, etc.

The DHS Deadline Extension

The DHS extended the deadline in order to give states like Idaho, which has not had a high level of compliance from residents, time to get them signed up.

This also seems to fit with the DHS and Biden Administration's efforts to have a loose immigration policy. They may want migrants who do not have a REAL ID or proof of legal residence document to still be able to fly around the U.S. for the next 2 years until May 7, 2025.

Who knows if they will extend the deadline again for this purpose?

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Mark R. Hake, CFA, writes articles on national and local news, stocks, and market events at InvestorPlace.com, Barchart.com, Medium.com, and Newsbreak.com as well as TalkMarkets.