The federal government has delayed the deadline for enforcing REAL ID requirements.
The new requirements were created by a federal law in 2005. And eventually, U.S. residents could need either REAL ID or a passport to fly domestically.
The enforcement deadline had been May 3, 2023, but the Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday that it's been pushed back again, until 2025.
In a statement, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says the delay is, "welcome news" and will give Mainers more time if they want to a REAL ID-compliant license. Bellows says that about 14% of people with drivers licenses and state ID's have REAL ID-compliant credentials.
