If you’ve already started planning your island getaway for next summer, consider adding a trip to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) if you don’t already have your REAL ID.

Starting on May 7, 2025, anyone looking to board domestic flights with a state-issued ID (or access some federal facilities) needs to have a REAL ID, identified by a star in the upper right-hand corner of your license or state identification.

According to the Ohio BMV, REAL ID compliant cards require additional identity documents to receive. If you don’t have one already, the BMV says you need documentation to prove the following:

• Full legal name
• Date of birth
• Legal presence in the US
• Social Security number (SSN)
• Ohio street address – Two documents, from different sources, proving Ohio street address that are listed on the Acceptable Document List are required for proof of Ohio residency
• Proof of name change (if applicable)

While the REAL ID compliant card will be get you on domestic flights, it is worth noting that it will not substitute a passport or other necessary documentation required for international travel.

The BMV states that the REAL ID compliant card and standard card both cost the same amount.

They also state that children under 18 years old traveling with their parents are not required to have a REAL ID. However, children who are flying unaccompanied “will need a Compliant Card or a Standard Card with other federally-approved documentation.”

According to the Department of Homeland Security’s website, the REAL ID Act was passed by Congress back in 2005.

“The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards,” the website reads.