NYers still clamoring to get REAL ID licenses before May 7 air travel deadline

ALBANY — New Yorkers are still scrambling to make appointments to secure driver's licenses that comply with a federal law to board domestic flights beginning May 7.

So far, 6.7 million New Yorkers have secured the REAL ID-compliant licenses, permits or nondriver IDs, said Walter McClure, a spokesman for the state Department of Motor Vehicles. That compares with 6.3 million holders of REAL ID-compliant licenses at the end of 2024.

A spot check by Newsday Thursday found few dates through July that were available for appointments with DMV to secure a REAL ID license, permit or nondriver ID or to upgrade their license to the more secure documents.

The licenses are required under the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005, which requires states to provide licenses that meet higher levels of security for air travel and to enter government and nuclear facilities.

Beginning in March, New York State expanded the hours and days  for appointments to apply for the licenses. Applicants must provide several documents to apply.

More slots are opening up daily and applicants are encouraged to keep checking the DMV online scheduler at public.nydmvreservation.com. The DMV strongly recommends New Yorkers make an appointment in order to avoid the need to make subsequent appointments if a required document is forgotten.

"People are going online and snapping them up when there is one," McClure told Newsday in an interview. "We are opening up appointments constantly."

New Yorkers who must travel by air beginning May 7 can still use their passport to board aircraft if they don’t have a REAL ID-compliant license, permit or nondriver ID. The state’s enhanced licenses also can be used for identification for air travel because they are REAL ID-compliant.

Newsday’s spot check found just two days open for appointments on Long Island before the May 7 deadline, according to the DMV online scheduler. One was in Medford, the other was in Massapequa.

After May 7, the online scheduler showed 24 available days for appointments through July. The review showed new opportunities opened throughout the day.

New Yorkers had been advised by several DMV mailers and public events since 2017 to apply for or upgrade to the REAL ID-compliant licenses. But many waited until the last few weeks: In March, DMV reported a 126% increase in applicants for REAL ID-compliant licenses in January and February compared with the same period in 2024.

McClure said he didn’t have data on how many New Yorkers may still be seeking appointments, but were turned away. But he said "multiple thousands" of New Yorkers took advantage of the department’s expansion of appointments on Thursday nights and Saturdays beginning April 5.

He offered a tip: New Yorkers who don’t plan to travel on May 7 may want to wait until the rush subsides to seek an appointment. And McClure said if New Yorkers find their closest DMV office is booked, they may want to check DMV offices in other towns or nearby counties.

"There’s not necessarily an urgency for everybody to do it by May 7," McClure said.

The state also partnered with AAA to provide opportunities at 10 of its offices on Long Island, in New York City and in Westchester County to process applications. A spokesman for AAA didn’t respond to a request for comment on how many applications it has processed or how many people were unable to get appointments.

Other states, including New Jersey, have added thousands of appointment slots, including on Saturdays, to deal with the rush of drivers trying to upgrade their license.

"Over the last few months, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for REAL ID from our customers, and we’ve repeatedly added and reallocated appointments to better meet that demand," New Jersey’s acting motor vehicles chief administrator, Latrecia Littles-Floyd, said in a statement in March.

The process requires the applicant to present several documents to prove identification and citizenship status. New Yorkers may still walk in for a visit to apply, but that could result in a lengthy wait. Also, not all DMV offices will accept applicants without an appointment.

The federal REAL ID Law requires a deeper level of security and will be required to enter many federal buildings and facilities, such as military bases. Enhanced licenses also meet those federal standards.

To review documents needed to prove identity and citizenship status, go to process.dmv.ny.gov/documentguide/dmv_license/DisplayPages/pwizlicensePermitNDID.cfm.

By Michael Gormley

michael.gormley@newsday.com@GormleyAlbany

Michael Gormley has worked for Newsday since 2013, covering state government, politics and issues. He has covered Albany since 2001.