Utah REAL ID: What You Need to Know
If you want to use your license to board domestic flights after May 3, 2023, it needs to be a REAL ID.
Written by Cassandra Hamilton
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Table of Contents
If you’re flying domestically after May 7, 2025, your
Utah driver’s license
will need to be REAL ID compliant. What is REAL ID?
Everyone wanted to strengthen national security after 9/11—that’s why the 9/11 Commission recommended the
REAL ID Act
in 2005. The REAL ID Act heightens standards for ID documents, which include driver’s licenses. The act allowed a lot of time for states and citizens to comply, and it’s set to go into effect in Utah
and all other states on May 7, 2025.Who needs a REAL ID?
On May 7, 2025, you will need a REAL ID in some circumstances, including when:
- Entering a nuclear power plant
- Accessing some federal facilities
- Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft (this includes domestic flights)
Most people won’t have to worry about accessing federal facilities or entering nuclear power plants, but a lot of people fly on airplanes. If you want to maintain the convenience of using your driver’s license to get past the TSA checkpoint, you need a REAL ID-compliant license by 2025.
If you’d rather not upgrade your license, or fail to do it by 2025, the TSA has
provided a list
of other identification documents you can use to board commercial flights instead.Key Takeaway There are new standards for identification since the REAL ID Act was passed; these go into effect in 2025.
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How to get a Utah REAL ID
All driver’s licenses that are issued in Utah have been REAL ID compliant since January 1, 2010. But if you haven’t applied for or
renewed a driver’s license
or ID card post-2010 and need to, here’s what to do:- Visit adriver license office
- Provide proof of identity (birth certificate, U.S. passport, permanent resident card, etc.)
- Provide proof of Social Security number (Social Security card, W2, paystub, etc.)
There is no additional fee for getting a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license in Utah. The state has provided a
full list of fees
, but most people will pay the standard $52 licensing fee.“I was literally floored by the savingsJerryfound for me. I was paying close to $960 every 6 months and now I’m paying $380 every 6 months for IDENTICAL COVERAGE in North Carolina!” —Olivia Z.
"I’m earning
awesome rewards
every week, just for driving safe!”
Patricia W.
Reviewed on 5/28/2023
Do I need a REAL ID?
Check the
Department of Homeland Security’s website
to see if you need a REAL ID or not. You will definitely need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license if you want to use your license to board commercial flights or access certain restricted areas after May 3, 2023.
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