To get a REAL ID in Michigan, you must visit a Secretary of State office and provide certain documents
. The REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, mandates that residents must have a REAL ID to board domestic flights, enter military bases, nuclear power plants, and certain federal buildings by May 7, 2025
. You will need to bring the following documents to the Secretary of State office
:
- Your current Michigan driver’s license or ID
- A valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or qualifying immigration document such as an I-551 Permanent Resident Card or foreign passport with a U.S. visa
. If you have specific questions about which documents qualify, contact the Department of State Information Center at (888) SOS-MICH (767-6424)
- A certified legal name-change document, if your name differs from what is on your birth certificate
If you convert your license or ID to a REAL ID when you renew or replace it, there is no added charge
. Otherwise, the correction fee to convert to REAL ID is $9 for a driver's license and $10 for an ID
. REAL ID licenses and IDs have a star in a gold circle or in a silhouette of Michigan in the upper right corner
. Enhanced licenses and IDs are also REAL ID-compliant, regardless of whether they display the star
. Enhanced IDs allow U.S. citizens to travel by land and sea to and from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean without a traditional passport
. As of March 21, 2025, over 70% of Michigan driver's licenses and state IDs were REAL ID-compliant
