The Department of Homeland Security in May will begin implementing REAL ID requirements for U.S. travelers for the first time, a move that comes as the administration looks to act on some of President Donald Trump’s top policy priorities, including its crackdown on illegal immigration and border security.

The enhanced ID requirements are slated to take effect May 7 and will apply to all U.S. travelers over the age of 18. 

The law establishing REAL IDs isn’t new: Congress first passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in an effort to crack down on identity verification in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and set «minimum security standards» for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. 

But after 20 years of slow-walking the law’s enforcement, the abrupt timing of the May 7 enforcement is likely to catch many Americans flat-footed.

Just how necessary is obtaining a «REAL ID»? We broke down the changes coming next month and what’s at stake for those who don’t comply. Here’s what you need to know in the final weeks before the new rules take force.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE

REAL ID requirements are going into effect nationwide soon. (Getty)

What is a REAL ID and how can I get one?

Beginning May 7, all federal agencies, including DHS and TSA, are required to accept only state-issued driver’s licenses and state identification cards that comply with the updated identity verification standards.

The goal of the REAL ID Act is «to make state driver’s licenses and ID cards (which are identification cards that states issue to non-drivers) more secure, less susceptible to fraud, and more reliable as a form of identification,» Magdalena Krajewska, an associate political science professor, wrote in a 2020 article for the Oxford Academic. (The government has for years tried to stand up the REAL ID requirements, most recently in the months before the COVID-19 pandemic.)

The law seeks to add another layer of security to various forms of identification and to make it harder to counterfeit state IDs.

FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN’S CFPB TERMINATIONS 

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday said two people within DHS have been identified as those disclosing information on operations that have plagued law enforcement amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation plans. (Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

What do I bring to the DMV?

The short answer: It depends. In order to obtain this enhanced form of ID, individuals must present to their local DMV valid proof of identity; proof of their Social Security number and date of birth, and two additional documents that prove they live in the state. This varies from state to state, though updated guidance can be found here.

The good news is that individuals can obtain one of the enhanced IDs at any time. All 50 states, D.C., and five U.S. territories are now issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards, according to the DHS. 

The REAL ID requirements are a «coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards for individuals across the federal government,» Bart Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for upstate New York, told reporters this month. 

REAL ID and TSA lines (Reuters/DC DMV)

Who needs to have one? 

Every adult in the U.S., if they want to travel by plane or enter government facilities.

«Every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant ID, which is a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or another acceptable form of ID, such as a U.S. passport» before the May 7 deadline, the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement.

Though the other IDs are not rendered obsolete, the TSA said Americans will need to present these new IDs every time they board a commercial flight, even when traveling on a domestic trip. They will also need this updated ID to access federal facilities or be granted access to federal buildings.

Does everyone need to update their ID?

No, not everyone needs to get a new ID. In fact, certain states have required REAL ID verification from residents for years, meaning individuals living in those states and with active forms of identification need not hustle to the local DMV.

Enhanced and «REAL ID-compliant» identification cards are marked with a seal, often a star in the top right-hand corner, according to DHS. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP 

What happens to individuals without a REAL ID?

The abrupt enforcement timeline could catch many Americans flat-footed, especially ahead of what is predicted to be a busy summer travel season.

While legacy IDs are still valid for travel, including driving, airline passengers who present noncompliant forms of ID before boarding, and without another acceptable alternative, such as a passport, «can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,» DHS officials said.

El exarzobispo de La Plata y actual prefecto del Dicasterio para la Doctrina de la Fe en el Vaticano, Víctor “Tucho” Fernández, fue una de las personas que acompañó al papa Francisco durante sus últimos días y dio detalles del momento en el que el santo padre se descompensó y su despedida en privado.

Fernández es uno de los cuatro argentinos que podrá votar para elegir al próximo pontífice. Fue designado en su cargo por el propio Francisco en 2023.

Leé también: El cuerpo del papa Francisco ya está en la Basílica de San Pedro y miles de fieles le darán el último adiós

“Me daba cuenta de que le quedaba poco tiempo, pero pensé que todavía un tiempito más lo tendríamos entre nosotros”, se sinceró durante una entrevista radial y agregó: “De hecho, la muerte de él fue sorpresiva incluso para los enfermeros, porque fue un ictus y no se pudo hacer nada, fue muy rápido”.

El cardenal también reveló que pudo despedirse en privado del papa el mismo lunes de su partida. “Me permitieron pasar para darle mi último saludo, todavía no lo habían revestido”, recordó. “Se me mezclaban dos cosas en el corazón: por un lado, un gran respeto porque estaba allí delante del que fue sucesor de San Pedro, y, por otro lado, era Jorge Bergoglio, quien siempre me dio aliento en los momentos duros y nunca me dejó bajar los brazos”, insistió.

Además, dio detalles de cómo fue su relación con el sumo pontífice desde su llegada al Vaticano: “Nunca le dije ‘vos’, siempre ‘usted’. Para mí era una figura inmensa. Su voz sigue dentro mío diciéndome: ‘Tucho, fuerza’”.

Sobre el final, Fernández concluyó notablemente emocionado: “Este mundo, que parece huérfano y sin rumbo, perdió un padre. Un padre universal. Y eso yo se lo agradezco a Dios”.

“Gracias por traerme de vuelta a la plaza”

El medio oficial de la Santa Sede, Vatican News, también detalló las últimas palabras que el sumo pontífice le dijo a su enfermero personal, Massimiliano Strapetti, en la previa de la misa por el Domingo de Resurrección. “¿Cree que podré hacerlo?“, fue la frase que esbozó el papa Francisco cuando surgió la idea de recorrer la plaza San Pedro a bordo del papamóvil.

Leé también: Los secretos del papa Francisco: los audios en los que habla de su salud y las presiones de liderar la Iglesia

Desde el Vaticano informaron que Strapetti lo tranquilizó y le aseguró que estaba en condiciones de realizar el recorrido, pese a su delicado estado de salud.

Tras la tradicional bendición “urbi et orbi” desde el balcón de la basílica de San Pedro, donde dio sus recordadas últimas palabras públicas, comenzó el paseo entre los miles de fieles que estaban reunidos para celebrar la Pascua.

El medio oficial del Vaticano reveló que luego de la recorrida, que duró alrededor de 15 minutos, el jefe de la Iglesia Católica le agradeció a su enfermero: “Gracias por traerme de vuelta a la plaza”.

La información oficial indicó que durante la tarde del Domingo de Pascua, Jorge Bergoglio descansó en la residencia de Santa Marta y que por la noche cenó con total tranquilidad.

Los médicos informaron que los malestares comenzaron a las 5.30 de la mañana (hora de Italia), unos minutos antes del horario en el que solía despertarse.

Más de una hora después de esos primeros síntomas, Francisco saludó a su enfermero personal, entró en coma y murió a las 7.35. “No sufrió, todo sucedió rápidamente, dicen quienes estuvieron a su lado en esos últimos momentos”, señaló Vatican News este martes, con base en el testimonio que dieron las personas que estuvieron presentes en ese momento.

Además, agregó: “Fue una muerte discreta, casi repentina, sin largas esperas ni demasiado clamor para un papa que siempre había mantenido su salud en gran secreto”.

President Donald Trump this week said he is «very» optimistic that Ukraine and Russia will enter into some sort of deal in the coming days, but security experts are still sounding the alarm that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want peace. 

A feeling of geopolitical whiplash is surrounding Washington after the Trump administration last week said it would abandon peace efforts if a ceasefire cannot be secured, though days later Trump said there is a «very good chance» a deal will be reached this week.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about what it would mean should the U.S. walk away from one of Trump’s top campaign trail issues: ending the war in Ukraine. 

TRUMP HOPEFUL RUSSIA AND UKRAINE CAN MAKE A DEAL AFTER TEMPORARY EASTER CEASEFIRE ENDS

The administration also has not clarified if Washington would take retaliatory measures against Putin, as Trump threatened to do last month.

«Simply because Trump hasn’t announced any consequences yet does not mean that he doesn’t plan on taking some anti-Russia measures,» former DIA intelligence officer and Russia expert Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital. «Trump almost certainly intends for his economic warfare against China to serve as an example to Putin how far Trump is willing to go to compel his adversaries to his will.»

«But unlike the China case, there’s no similar dependence between the U.S. and Russia. Trump’s decision on Russia is much more complicated, more risky and requires more thought,» she added. «He may or may not take draconian economic steps against Russia, as Putin may take devastating, non-kinetic actions against the U.S. 

«It’s Trump’s risk tolerance vs. Putin’s now,» Koffler said. «And both like to win and both have risk tolerance way above average.»

The White House did not respond to questions by Fox News Digital on whether the U.S. would still aid Ukraine in some capacity, particularly given recent restrictions on military aid Trump has implemented on Kyiv, like refusing to sell Patriot missiles previously used to defend civilian populations from Russian strikes and that cost $1.5 billion a piece.

«If we want to be a global superpower, and we want to deter aggression, not with U.S. troops on the ground, but in general, to deter aggression because it is good for our national security, then we should continue to support Ukraine,» former CIA Moscow Station Chief Dan Hoffman told Fox News Digital. «It’s a tiny percentage of the Department of Defense budget.»

Women and children view a memorial of flowers and toys at the site of a Russian missile attack in Sumy, Ukraine, on April 14, 2025. (Vlada Liberova/Libkos/Getty Images)

TRUMP SAYS US WILL ‘TAKE A PASS’ ON UKRAINE PEACE EFFORTS IF RUSSIA REFUSES TO PLAY BALL

«The return on investment is pretty high,» he added, referring to the $66.5 billion in military assistance Washington has provided Kyiv since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, compared to the $841.4 billion defense budget congressionally approved for 2024 alone, a figure which Trump has pushed to increase.

A Ukrainian delegation was set to meet with Trump administration officials in London on Wednesday alongside other European partners, including representatives from the U.K., France and Germany.

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is reportedly set to return to Moscow this week to continue negotiations with Russian officials, though the Kremlin has not indicated they are anywhere near agreeing to ceasefire terms, let alone a peace deal.

A spokesperson for Putin, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday reportedly said the issue of Russia’s invasion was too «complex» to achieve a quick fix and warned against rushing into a deal.

«It is not worth setting any rigid time frames and trying to get a settlement, a viable settlement, in a short time frame,» he said.

The Kremlin’s position has given credence to repeated warnings from security experts that Putin is not interested in securing a peace deal with Ukraine. 

«There’s no indication that Putin wants to stop the war,» Hoffman said. «That isn’t surprising. Because for a war to end, somebody has to win or both sides have to be so tired they can’t continue to fight. 

«Russia is the invader, so you have to stop them in order to have an end of the war,» he added. «The one consistent thing here is Putin is continuing to fight. His objective is to overthrow the government in Ukraine. He’s going to keep fighting until he feels like he has accomplished that goal or he can’t fight anymore.»

Damage from a Russian drone strike is seen in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on April 22, 2025. (Pavlo Pakhomenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Koffler echoed Hoffman’s position: «Putin will be pursuing the same strategy regardless of Trump’s actions; that is continuing the war of attrition until Ukraine capitulates or is completely destroyed and the government collapses.»

«Putin would like to string Trump along and will continue to try doing so,» she added.

A report by the Moscow Times on Tuesday cited sources close to Putin and said the Kremlin chief is looking to reorder the global «spheres of influence» by negotiating leverage points between the U.S. and adversaries like Iran and North Korea. 

The article claimed that Putin would attempt to get Trump to either force a less-than-desirable deal for Ukraine or potentially stop the U.S. from aiding Kyiv by proposing personally enticing deals, like allowing Trump to build a hotel in Moscow, and geopolitical wins, like securing a nuclear agreement with Iran and a «peace deal» in Ukraine.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Ukrainian soldiers are seen on March 8, 2025. (Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)

Fox News Digital could not verify the report’s claims, but Koffler agreed it could be a strategy that Putin is looking to employ as the U.S. pushes deals across Europe and the Middle East. 

«He could promise Trump not to share certain sensitive technologies to these two [nations],» Koffler said. «And he could convince Iran not to operationalize and weaponize its nuclear program in exchange for Trump’s promise not to target Iran’s nuclear facilities in a kinetic strike and to lift sanctions from Russia. 

«The important aspect of all of this is to give these adversaries face-saving opportunities, which is not a strong point for the U.S. style of diplomacy,» Koffler said. «But Putin’s ability to convince Trump and Trump’s decision calculus are two different things.»