While initially set to be enforced in 2020, it has been announced that Florida will be extending deadlines for mandatory REAL ID travel requirements due to COVID-19. After Oct. 1, 2021, all air travelers 18 years or older will be expected to present a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or U.S. passport at TSA security checkpoints in order to have access to air travel within or outside of the United States. In the original press release, it was stated that “the enhanced security effort is part of the REAL ID Act passed by Congress in 2005, which complies with the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government ‘set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.’” To verify the status of an ID, contact the Florida driver’s license agency or simply look for a gold star in the upper-right hand corner of your license. The extended deadline aims to provide some leeway to travelers in light of the countless hardships caused by the recent pandemic. For more information about the REAL ID Act, visit tsa.gov/real-id.