Does Your Texas Driver’s License Have A Star? If not, you might not be able to fly using it as your identification!
The United States Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 in response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11. The REAL ID Act requires states to adopt and implement uniform standards for the issuance and production of state-issued driver licenses and identification cards if they are to be accepted as identity documents by the federal government.
What you need to know…Beginning October 1, 2020, only state-issued driver licenses and identification cards that are fully compliant with the REAL ID Act will be accepted for official federal government purposes, such as entering secure federal buildings or boarding domestic flights. If your card does not have the gold star you will not be able to use it for federal identification purposes, such as boarding domestic flights or entering secure federal facilities, after October 1, 2020.
October 10, 2016 & Beyond Have A Gold Star
Texas began issuing REAL ID compliant cards on October 10, 2016, so if you renewed your license after that date, you should be good to go with the gold star in the upper right-hand corner of your TX Driver’s License. Just be sure to check If not, you’ll need to renew ASAP.
Skip The Long Lines
You can actually get a duplicate ID online for $11 and skip the lines!
Heres’s the link: https://www.dps.texas.gov/driverlicense/replace.htm
- Be sure to have your driver’s license and the following info handy
- The last four digits of your social security number, and
- The audit number from your most recently issued card.
Red arrow points out where your audit number can be found.