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Due to a software glitch, approximately 325,000 international residents with California REAL IDs will need to revisit the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to obtain replacements.
This affects roughly 1.5% of REAL ID holders across the state, according to the DMV. Those impacted, who are legally in the state through immigration or visitation, will be directly informed by the department.
The Sacramento Bee highlighted:
“The problem was confined to the way expiration dates were determined for some noncitizen residents with legal status in California,” stated DMV officials in a press release, as reported by the newspaper.
Steve Gordon, the DMV Director, assured, “For nearly 99% of REAL ID holders, there is no need for concern. The DMV is dedicated to serving all Californians and ensuring that REAL ID credentials comply with federal requirements.”
DMV Director Steve Gordon added, “For nearly 99% of REAL ID holders, no action is required. The DMV remains committed to serving all Californians and ensuring REAL ID credentials meet federal standards.”
The deadline for securing a REAL ID was May 7, 2025. Anyone 18 years and older who plans to fly domestically, visit certain federal facilities, or confirm their identity for certain federal government services needs a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification.
According to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA):
The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards.” The Act and implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibit federal agencies from accepting for certain official purposes noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards, both physical and digital.
“The department emphasized that REAL IDs were not issued to undocumented individuals,” Los Angeles’s ABC affiliate reported.
Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the best-selling author of the Los Angeles crime novel Below the Line and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
