k00b

You can absolutely still get a driver’s license without REAL ID. The only “catch” is it won’t have that little gold star, so TSA won’t treat it as valid federal ID when the enforcement date hits in May 2025. But if you’ve got a passport book or card, you’ve basically already sidestepped the whole thing.

REAL ID isn’t magic, it’s just extra paperwork for states to verify documents more strictly, born from post‑9/11 recommendations. Plenty of people skip it entirely out of privacy concerns or just because they’d rather not hand Washington more data they already have.

If you want to keep confusing bouncers and gate agents with your California license rocking a Texas address, a passport card is the perfect next move. It works for domestic flights, cruises, and land crossings, plus it adds that little “wait, what?” moment every time someone sees it.

Travel

Do you have a REAL ID?

You can absolutely still get a driver’s license without REAL ID. The only “catch” is it won’t have that little gold star, so TSA won’t treat it as valid federal ID when the enforcement date hits in May 2025. But if you’ve got a passport book or card, you’ve basically already sidestepped the whole thing.  

REAL ID isn’t magic, it’s just extra paperwork for states to verify documents more strictly, born from post‑9/11 recommendations. Plenty of people skip it entirely out of privacy concerns or just because they’d rather not hand Washington more data they already have.  

If you want to keep confusing bouncers and gate agents with your California license rocking a Texas address, a passport card is the perfect next move. It works for domestic flights, cruises, and land crossings, plus it adds that little “wait, what?” moment every time someone sees it.  