What Louisiana residents should know ahead of REAL ID deadline

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — The REAL ID deadline is quickly approaching. Starting Wednesday, May 7, a standard Louisiana driver’s license will no longer be enough to get through airport security.

To fly domestically, visit military bases or enter some federal buildings, you’ll need a REAL ID-compliant license. You can tell if you have one by looking for a yellow star in the top right corner of your ID.

Louisiana OMVs have seen a spike in visitors in the days leading up to the deadline.

“We came here, and the place is packed. There’s nowhere to sit. Everyone told me it was taking a really long time. So, we’ll come back,” said Mary Johannes.

“I came straight after dropping my daughters off, and it was about 8 a.m. So maybe about two hours now that I’m thinking about it,” said Sandy Duvernay.

Even though the deadline is May 7, you can still get a REAL ID after that date. The deadline only applies to airport and federal security checkpoints, not to OMV services.

“If you never fly or if you have a flight, let’s say in November, there’s no reason for you to go sit in line all day and wait,” said Matthew Boudreaux with the Office of Motor Vehicles.

If your license doesn’t have a star after May 7, you’ll need to show a passport or another TSA-approved form of ID to board a flight. Before heading to the OMV, make sure you bring the right documents.

“Either the birth certificate or the passport. We don’t need both of those. Then, two proofs of residence,” Boudreaux said. “One of those proofs can be your current license or ID card, if that address is correct.”

The REAL ID Act was passed after Sept. 11 to raise security standards for state-issued IDs.

“We think Louisiana is in good shape approaching this enforcement date. We have over 1.2 million residents that have the state-issued credential ready to fly,” Boudreaux added.

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