What To Know About Minnesota's Different IDs As Deadline Looms

After a few extensions, the deadline for Minnesotans to get a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or identification card is fast approaching.

While REAL IDs are not a requirement for most day-to-day aspects of life, anyone who plans to board a plane - even for fights inside the United States - needs this upgraded form of identification.

Minnesotans actually have a couple of options, but what is the difference between the two, and which one is right for you? I'll explain.

Why is there a need for a REAL ID? What is the deadline?

A federal mandate for upgraded identification goes into effect on May 7, 2025, for anyone boarding a plane (even for domestic travel) as well as for less common things like entering certain federal facilities and nuclear power plants.

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Odds are the thing that applies to you is more likely the airline travel aspect of things. As The Hill explains, the requirement stems from a post-September 11 Congressional Act passed in 2005.

The new IDs are designed to meet a higher security standard than the old driver licenses once issued by the State of Minnesota and other states.

The deadline for the requirement for REAL-ID complainant identification has been pushed back a few times, but is now set to go into effect this May.

What are the two options for Minnesota residents?

Not every state has multiple options. Wisconsin, for example, only offers standard (non-compliant) licenses and IDs and REAL IDs. Minnesota, on the other hand, has two options that meet the new requirements.

REAL ID

The first is a REAL ID, which meets the minimum standards required federally for Minnesota residents. This is considered the new minimum standard for air travel, even domestic; as well as those other use scenarios I mentioned above.

REAL IDs are not required for basic day-to-day needs including for things like driving, age verification for things like alcohol purchases, and voting. A standard-issued driver's license or ID will still work for those tasks.

Enhanced ID

The other option Minnesotans have is something called an Enhanced ID, which offers added user benefits. Minnesota is one of only five states in the country that currently offer the higher-level Enhanced ID as an option, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The key benefits of having an Enhanced ID are for people who plan to travel internationally. An Enhanced ID can be used to cross the U.S. border to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, or the Caribbean, by land or sea in place of a passport. A passport is still required for air travel internationally, even when traveling to/from Mexico, Canada, etc.

An Enhanced ID also meets all of the requirements for domestic air travel and day-to-day tasks that can also be accomplished with a driver's license or state-issued ID.

How do I get a REAL ID or Enhanced ID?

There are some additional pieces of documentation in order to get a REAL ID or Enhanced ID for the first time. Once you have it set up, renewal is just like a normal driver's license renewal, unless you are changing information like your name or address.

It is also worth noting that if you have travel planned for May, you will want to act as quickly as possible, as it does take a little longer to process a REAL ID or Enhanced ID than it does a normal driver's license.

You can learn more about the process of getting both via designated pages on the MInnesota Department of Public Safety website:

See Minnesota REAL ID information here

See Minnesota Enhanced ID information here

Minnesota Counties Bigger Than Entire States In The US

Of Minnesota's 87 counties, it turns out a sizable portion of them are larger than some entire states in the United States. 11 counties are bigger than at least one (in some cases more than one) state. Here's what counties are on that list and which states they are bigger than in land area.

Gallery Credit: Nick Cooper - TSM Duluth