Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license/photo ID card or another form of federally acceptable identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to board a domestic, commercial flight or enter a federal building or military installation that requires ID.
Opting into the REAL ID program is optional for Pennsylvanians, but PennDOT continues to encourage residents interested in applying for a REAL ID to start the process now. Customers should be aware of and obtain proper documentation to ensure they have their REAL ID product before the federal deadline.
Currently, more than 3.14 million residents of Pennsylvania possess a REAL ID-compliant product, reflecting an opt-in rate of 29%. Despite the enforcement date being revised multiple times, PennDOT has surpassed the initially projected 25% adoption rate by the deadline, with an ongoing trend of daily customer registrations for REAL ID products.
In the past 30 days, PennDOT has recorded a substantial increase in the issuance of REAL IDs, averaging over 9,700 per day, which elevates the daily average to over 2,000 since March 1, 2019. Furthermore, during the most recent quarter, the agency has generated over $7.5 million in revenue from voluntary REAL ID opt-in fees, bringing the total revenue generated since March 1, 2019, close to $92 million.
In the fiscal year 2023-2024, PennDOT issued over 292,000 REAL IDs. As of the current fiscal year 2024-2025, the agency has already issued more than 756,000 REAL IDs. Customers still have the option to request REAL ID pre-verification. If you received your first Pennsylvania driver's license, learner's permit, or photo ID card after September 1, 2003, you may already have your REAL ID documentation on file with PennDOT. To date, PennDOT has received over 1 million preverification requests, which have allowed more than 385,000 customers to qualify for REAL IDs without the need to visit a Driver License Center. Customers can check if their required REAL ID documents are on file with PennDOT by applying online for REAL ID pre-verification. If PennDOT confirms that your documentation is on file, customers will be notified and can order their REAL ID online.
In December, PennDOT opened a new state-of-the-art Driver License Center in Exeter Township, Berks County. In addition to standard driver licensing and photo services, the new location offers same-day REAL ID services and has been built to federal REAL ID facility security standards.
To provide additional opportunities for Pennsylvanians to get a REAL ID, PennDOT held REAL ID Days at the drivers license centers on Mondays when the centers are typically closed. These events started late in 2024 and continued throughout the early part of 2025 to provide another way for residents to get a REAL ID before the May 7 enforcement date. Over 50,000 Pennsylvanians received their REAL ID during these events.
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