NASHVILLE, Tenn. — More than three million Tennesseans had obtained a REAL ID by mid-May 2025, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, just days after federal enforcement of the long-delayed identification requirement officially began.
By May 12, 2025 — five days after the May 7 enforcement date—state officials reported that slightly more than 3 million of Tennessee’s 5.8 million licensed drivers had secured a REAL ID–compliant driver license or identification card. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005 following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission, established minimum security standards for state-issued identification to improve domestic travel safety and regulate access to federal buildings and military installations.
Although the law was enacted two decades ago and originally scheduled for enforcement in 2008, implementation was repeatedly delayed nationwide. Factors included privacy concerns raised by some states, the cost of upgrading systems and staffing driver service centers, and later the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. After pandemic-related delays ended, federal officials set May 7, 2025, as the final, non-negotiable enforcement date…