Illinois’ REAL ID Will Be Required A Year From Now
If you recall, the original, pre-pandemic deadline for the move to REAL ID was October 21, 2020. Then, COVID-19 came along and threw a monkey-wrench into things. So, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) pushed things back one year to October 21, 2021 to give people time to get things together while dealing with the pandemic.
As it turned out, that wasn't enough time, either. So, instead of extending the deadline by just one year, the Illinois Secretary of State's Office pushed the due date back two years.
Some reminders have been circulating about next year's deadline, so if you've been hoping for another extension, you may be out of them.
The Department Of Homeland Security Will Begin Enforcement Of REAL ID For Air Travelers On May 3rd, 2023
I know, that's just about a whole year from now, but state officials (knowing how people can be about deadlines) are urging Illinois residents to get busy now so that there won't be a giant logjam of applications in May of next year.
Anyone who's paid attention to FOID cards, CCL applications, and unemployment benefits knows how well Illinois officials do when they're buried in applications, and nobody wants to deal with that.
Before you groan about having something else to add to your already busy life, keep in mind that not everyone is going to need an Illinois REAL ID.
Take a look and see if REAL ID is for you (just ignore that part about "effective October 1st, 2020"):