Key Points:

• Real ID required for commercial flights starting May 7, 2025

• Governor Hobbs obtained a Real ID despite special travel privileges

• MVD reports 85% of those getting a license are getting Real IDs

Real ID has been available in Arizona since 2015, but it took until May 1 for Gov. Katie Hobbs to obtain her own travel document. 

And none too soon: The Transportation Security Administration says that, beginning May 7, travelers will need that or other documents if they want to board a commercial flight. “There’s nothing like a deadline to spur people into action,” the governor said. 

Functionally, however, that deadline really doesn’t apply to her — at least not yet. One of the perks of the office is that the sitting governor can skip the line and be flown around the state and region in aircraft owned by the Department of Public Safety. But Hobbs acknowledged that eventually, she will no longer be the state’s chief executive, and those perks will disappear. So, this past Thursday, she showed up at a Motor Vehicle Division office, passport, bank statement, and W-2 form in hand, to obtain her Real ID. “Most people who fly are used to being able to use their state-issued ID to be able to get through TSA,” the governor said. “Without a Real ID-compliant (license), that won’t be the case any more.” 

There will be other options. A passport will suffice, as will a birth certificate and two other documents with the person’s current name and address. However, Hobbs said most people will likely find it more convenient to simply show the enhanced driver’s license. 

Several things are needed to get one of these. First is proof of identity, meaning an original or certified birth certificate, an unexpired U.S. passport, or a passport card. Applicants must also provide a social security number, although no document is required. Finally, there’s the requirement for two documents from different sources with a name and current Arizona residential address. Options include a utility bill, insurance policies, government documents, or credit card or bank statements. 

The MVD takes appointments online at “azmvdnow.gov,” which is much quicker than simply walking in and waiting. When everything is verified and a $25 fee is paid, there’s a new picture taken, and the license — with the special notation of a star in the upper right corner — is delivered in about a week. 

The May 7 deadline has been a long time coming. It started with the Real ID Act of 2005, passed in the wake of attacks by terrorists who commandeered U.S. aircraft on Sept. 11, 2001. It requires states to have licenses that comply with certain security requirements. But nothing in that law could force states to comply. Arizona legislators, fearing it was tantamount to creating a national ID card, approved a measure in 2008 prohibiting the Motor Vehicle Division from producing a Real ID-compliance license. 

Karen Johnson, then a state senator from Mesa, called the licenses an unwanted intrusion into privacy, rejecting arguments that the new licenses were necessary for security. “If you want to give up your liberty for security, you’re going to end up with neither one,” she said. Former Rep. Judy Burgess of Skull Valley expressed concerns that the new licenses would have a radio-frequency-identification chip that could be read by nearby scanners. “They could embed RFID readers in federal buildings and anywhere,” she said. “And they can, essentially, track you as a citizen everywhere you go.” 

By 2015, however, some legislators became concerned when the Department of Homeland Security threatened to enforce the law banning people from boarding aircraft without a “secure” license. They agreed to make it an option for Arizonans — albeit with a specific provision barring the use of RFID technology. Hobbs, who was in the state Senate then, stated she’s not afraid of having one of the new licenses. “I think there’s been a lot of conspiracy theories, not just recently, around elections, around vaccines,” she said, just like there were about Real ID. “People don’t have a reason to be skeptical of it.” 

So what happens to would-be travelers without either a Real ID or other acceptable documents? TSA indicates that it may still be possible to board an aircraft, at least for a domestic flight. However, the agency warns that there will be additional scrutiny, with officers asking questions to verify identity. 

They say that could take hours — even if someone eventually is cleared — possibly resulting in a missed flight. All that potential hassle is apparently prompting Arizonans to take notice.

 The MVD reports that about 85% of those entering its offices are choosing to get a Real ID instead of a standard license. There is one other benefit of getting a Real ID: it means a new photo on a license, something that might be welcome for those who have never been happy with their current one. For her part, Hobbs said she thinks she’s going to like her new one. “It looked OK on the temporary one they gave me,” she said.