Idahoans Have 7 Months To Get New Star Card ID Before Deadline

Whenever I hear I have seven months to complete a task I say, "I'll do that later, I have seven months to take care of it." Then six months later I'm scrambling to get the task done. I know I'm not alone in this which is why I'm urging you as a fellow procrastinator to upgrade your government issued IDs sooner rather than later.

The deadline for Idahoans to get the Star Card, Idaho's REAL ID is October 1st, 2021. The deadline was extended another year due to COVID-19. It's important to note that getting a Star Card is not mandatory however if you plan on flying anytime ever,  a Star Card, U.S. passport, military ID or another form of REAL ID will be required to board a commercial flight or enter any federal facility.

You might already have a Star Card! In just the past two years 395,563 Idahoans got theirs. According to The Idaho Transportation Department, 465,563 of 1.25 million licensed drivers in Idaho have a Star Card but that still leaves more than half of Idaho's population needing to take action if they want to avoid any headaches and delays at the airport after October 1st.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of planning ahead and updating your driver’s license to a Star Card today,” DMV Administrator Alberto Gonzalez told Idaho News 6. “We are pleased to see the number of people getting the Star Card increasing, but now is not the time to slow down. Our goal is 100% awareness, so no one is unexpectedly forced to miss a vacation or unplanned, last minute trip this fall.”

You can get your new Star Card by visiting a county driver's license office. Be sure to bring all necessary documents with you which you can find more information on here along with other frequently asked questions.