Charleston, WV (WOAY) – Does your West Virginia driver’s license have a gold star in the right-hand corner? If not, you still have time to comply by getting a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license.
In order to board a domestic flight travelers will soon need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. If your license isn’t REAL ID-compliant, you will need to produce another form of approved identification, such as a passport. The small star in the corner indicates that the ID meets federal regulations that establish minimum security standards. REAL ID goes into effect starting May 7, 2025.
According to John C. Allen, TSA’s Federal Security Director for West Virginia: “REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards. The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
WV residents have the option to stick with an older standard driver’s license. However, the standard credential without the gold star will not be valid to fly domestically or to access secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices.
Individuals will need to visit their local West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office in person with the necessary documents to prove U.S. citizenship and West Virginia residency to get a REAL ID compliant license. Or they can go online to the REAL ID Headstart page to upload documents to speed the licensing process.
Transportation Security Administration officers at airports will be checking for a REAL ID-compliant license or another form of acceptable ID after May 7, 2025, because of a federal law (The REAL ID Act of 2005) that mandates that a REAL ID is needed for federal identification purposes. TSA may phase in implementation starting on May 7, 2025, and if so, TSA will post those details on its web site.
Signs will be posted at airports nationwide to remind people that REAL ID-compliant licenses or other acceptable forms of ID, such as a valid passport, will be mandatory for air travel beginning on May 7, 2025.
