76 Fed. Reg. 12269 (March 7, 2011)

In a final rule published March 7, 2011, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) extended until January 15, 2013 the date by which States must be in full compliance with the REAL ID Act of 2005. The prior full compliance date had been May 11, 2011.

Note: By December, 2012, only thirteen states had provided DHS with sufficient information to allow DHS to determine that they had met the standards of the Act. In a December 20, 2012 notice, DHS granted a temporary deferment (with no specified end date) for all other states and territories to allow those jurisdictions to provide additional information so that DHS could make a final determination. The temporary deferment will allow Federal agencies to continue to accept these states' licenses and identification cards for boarding commercial aircraft and other official purposes beyond the January 15, 2013 deadline set by the 2011 regulation.