Starting next week, a standard Kentucky driver's license will no longer be accepted for domestic flights or to access certain federal buildings.

The federal government will begin enforcing the real ID act starting May 7th.

That's despite some Kentucky officials saying the state isn't ready.

So what does it take to get a real ID and do you need one?

Well, we asked the Kentucky Transportation cabinet to break it down.

The first thing to know is that the real ID enforcement date that's coming up is not a deadline.

So we're trying to kind of change the language that we use on that.

And that might not make people think that their standard license is going to be invalidated on that date, or they won't be able to get a real ID after that date.

We just want to let them know that's the enforcement date, when you will need a real ID credential to get on a domestic commercial flight, to go into a military base, a restricted military building.

So I have plenty of people call all the time and go, look, I don't go anywhere.

I don't do anything.

I'm like, well, then you don't need real I.D., so don't get one kind of thing.

But but just, you know, we want people to be informed and making that decision.

Do you need one?

A lot of times I'll ask them, do you have a family member that lives out on the West Coast?

And if tragedy was to strike and you were to lose them, would you need to fly out to visit family members, a funeral, anything?

A real ideas, a federal requirement.

We offer a version of it.

If they have a passport, they have a real ID already.

If they have a passport card, if they have a Department of Defense issued ID card, if they have a military ID, all of those are real ID credentials.

With that, they can make an appointment, come into our office, bring all the required documentation that they need to bring.

And the best way to remember that is in three categories.

We need proof of identity, which is typically the birth certificate.

We have proof of Social Security which is your social security card.

And then two proofs of residence.

So two pieces of postmarked mail to account bills that show your name and address and were issued within the last 12 months.

And we do have a wrinkle in there.

That is kind of what I always call the marriage penalty.

And that is if someone has gotten married and their name is changed, it's the name on the birth certificate doesn't match the name on the Social Security card.

Then they need a bridging document to show why that is.

Usually that's a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, court order, things like that.

So those are the biggest hurdles that people have, is just not bringing in the right documentation with them and then having to make another appointment to come back in.

And that just adds to the frustration.

So we want people to avoid that.

Governor Andy Beshear talked about the real ID situation and why there is such a backlog during his weekly news conference last Thursday.

The real ID deadline has been delayed so many times that not enough folks went in and got it when the lines would be shorter.

And now we're faced, really with, triple threat all happening at the same time, which makes, the challenge even greater.

We have real ID, which takes, a lot of documentation, and is going to be needed, to, to board an airline.

But remember, a passport is also a real ID.

So if you're worried about the deadline but you have a valid passport, you're still going to be able to get on that plane.

It's actually considered a real ID.

Under the language we have the real ID, we have the 60 to 75,015 year olds and one of their permit yesterday.

And this is a one time thing that once we get through, we'll balance out.

But I want to make sure I say we do need to do better.

And we're working on it.

But with that said, I do support moving back.

The real ID deadline.

It's not just us.

It's a ton of states and people are going to show up, going to see their parents, going to see their kids and not be able to take that flight.

That's going to be a lot of unhappy Americans.

Kentucky lawmakers passed legislation related to driver's licensing offices during the 2025 Kentucky General Assembly that ended a few weeks ago.

Senate Bill 43 allows third party entities like Triple-A and insurance offices to renew standard driver's licenses.

The bill doesn't go into effect until late June, and it would not apply for real IDs, though lawmakers hope the bill would help curb long lines at Kentucky's 34 regional driver licensing offices.

Another bill requiring driver's licenses services be returned to county clerks died in committee.