ELMHURST, Queens (PIX11) — If you haven’t gotten your Real ID yet, time is running out. The deadline is May 2025.
At the Queens Public Library in Elmhurst on Wednesday, the DMV and state Sen. Michael Gianaris hosted a pop-up event to help people get their IDs.
By May 2025, all New Yorkers will need a Real ID if they want to travel domestically or get into certain federal buildings. If you don’t have one, you’ll need a passport.
“There was a 911 commission that came up with all kinds of safeguards including the real ID,” said Mark J. F. Schroeder, commissioner of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. “To make it safer. So if you say who you are, we want to make sure we know who you are.”
The DMV commissioner said it’s important for the agency to partner with elected officials to host community events like the one in Elmhurst in order to increase its reach.
“Our vision is that we want to break the perception of the DMV,” Schroeder said. “We need to be where New Yorkers are and that’s why we encourage the community events.”