The government implementation date for North Carolina is May 7, 2025. Officials are telling people in North Carolina to get their Real IDs as soon as possible because they will be needed for flying and getting into some federal buildings after that date.
Wake County Congressman Wiley Nickel (D-13) and DMV Commissioner Wayne Goodwin met at a Raleigh DMV office on Tuesday to get the word out about the deadline. Nick Nickel said, “I don’t want the people I represent in Congress to go to the airport and have trouble getting on their flight. Again, you need that real ID to travel.”
Goodwin says that North Carolina has given out about 4.5 million Real IDs in the last seven years, which is 47% of all IDs given out. Goodwin said that they want to get to 50% by the end of May.
According to figures from January from the Department of Homeland Security, about 162 million Real ID-compliant cards have been issued across the country. That’s about 56% of people with state-issued ID cards who need to be compliant.
“Getting a Real ID here in North Carolina is not required at all,” Goodwin said. “Getting one is a good idea, but I just want to remind everyone that they don’t have to.”
Nickel applied for his own Real ID on Tuesday and talked about his plans to ask the federal government for more money to open the DMV on Saturdays, especially in places that were hit by Hurricane Helene.
Because of federal funds, 50 DMV offices across the state are now open on Saturdays and have longer hours. Nickel said we need more.
“That help needs to go up, and we’re also trying to get more Saturday office hours, especially since this deadline is coming up,” Nickel said. “That is something I will fight for when I go back to Congress.”
Asheville, Burnsville, Marion, and Spruce Pine are the only four driver license offices that were closed because of Hurricane Helene. As of Tuesday, all of them were reopening. Marion is going to open again on Wednesday.
The DMV said it has set up a temporary plan for people in the area to pick up their IDs. Residents can go to certain driver’s license offices to get their ID cards and driver’s licenses.