The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it is delaying the implementation of new Real ID requirements by a full year until Oct. 1, 2021.
Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said the delay is due to the upheaval brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
"The federal, state and local response to the spread of the Coronavirus here in the United States necessitates a delay in this deadline," Wolf said in a statement. "Our state and local partners are working tirelessly with the Administration to flatten the curve and, therefore, we want to remove any impediments to response and recovery efforts."
During a briefing Monday at the White House, President Donald Trump said that he would ask DHS to push back the Real ID deadline.
Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 as a measure to increase national security following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The law set new federal standards that all states must follow when issuing new ID cards. When renewing licenses and IDs, people must now provide more information so states can verify identities.
Once the Real ID standards are adopted by Homeland Security, Americans with IDs that do not meet federal standards will not be able to board an airplane in the US.