Real ID: Can I go back to an older ID form?

With the deadline for getting a real ID in just one week, some people are wary of making changes or having already done so regrets, and now their decision may ask if they can return an alternative form of ID.

For many people across the country, the short answer is yes. Many states will continue to offer non-modern ID identification forms that can be obtained the next time someone renews their ID.

However, this raises a major warning that from May 7, true ID forms of identification can only be accepted for federal purposes, such as boarding a domestic flight or visiting a federal facility.

It has been 20 years since Congress passed the Real ID Act, requiring states to enforce certain minimum security standards for issuing IDs. A real ID card is not a national ID card, but an ID issued by the state according to certain federal standards.

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The deadline for the implementation of the national implementation ID is May 7. (Getty Image)

After a series of delays in enforcing the law, the Department of Homeland Security under the Trump administration finally set a deadline for all adults who wish to travel by plane or to visit federal facilities to get a real ID-compliant ID card by May 7.

The Trump administration argued that the deadline had been delayed long enough and asserted that travelers had enough time to collect necessary documents for a stricter form of identification.

However, some critics claim that Real ID poses a risk to citizens’ privacy, while some on the left claim to obtain additional documents for the card, which creates inappropriate difficulties for some demographic data such as the poor or minority groups.

Although this will vary by state, if someone with a real ID feels sorry, then all they have to do is choose another form of identity the next time they renew.

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Although this will vary by state, if someone with a real ID feels sorry, then all they have to do is choose another form of identity the next time they renew. (Getty)

But Simon Hankinson, a senior fellow at Heritage Foundation, explained to Fox News Digital that “there is not a big difference between the real ID version and the irregular version.”

Hankinson explains that to get a real ID, all you need is an extra form of documentation, not what the identification card usually needs.

“Suppose I applied for a regular driver's license. I need a proof of residence. I received a bill from the power company and the cable company and got a birth certificate. OK, that's what I provide to get a regular ID and then to get a real ID, I have to add a passport or social security card. ”

With that in mind, for many people, the benefits of opting out of a real ID card may not be worth the disadvantage.

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Signs outlining the documents required to hang a real ID card in a motor vehicle office in Troy, New York on Wednesday, February 19, 2025. (Jim Franco/Albany Times via Getty Image)))))

Meanwhile, Hankinson said the benefits of a real ID card to national security are important.

He pointed to the September 11, 2001 attack, where several al-Qaeda terrorists obtained valid state permits that were accepted for boarding.

“They did the 911 Commission report and they realized that one of the many mistakes had been made, and one of the many loopholes was that two hijackers, at least two people crashed into the plane in the Pentagon and obtained a driver's license in California,” he said. “As a national security issue, you cannot travel to other countries and only get a driver's license with zero ID. I mean, it just doesn't work that way. So, I think it's time for us to catch up. ”

Hankinson said that in order to worry about security and privacy, the government must adhere to the highest standards to safeguard citizens’ privacy. Nevertheless, he compared the real ID with the risk and rewards that nuclear power poses to the country.

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(After May 7, commercial air travel will not be able to accept driver's licenses that are not available for existing IDs. Passports are still an option for those without actual ID state IDs.)

“If you do it right, you can mitigate the risk and you can have 75% like France, which is 80% of the nuclear power plant,” he said. “If you cut the corner and you put the wrong person in charge and risk, you end up with Chernobyl.”

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All in all, Hankinson said, “I think this does add some trouble…but this gives us a lot of exchanges. ”

Morgan Phillips of Fox News Digital contributed to the report.