'Real ID' deadline pushed back to 2023 due to ongoing pandemic

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. - You have a few more years to make sure your ID is "Real ID" compliant in order to fly.

On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the agency has extended the Real ID enforcement date because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

It was previously set to go into effect this October. Now, the DHS will begin requiring travelers to have Real IDs for domestic air travel on May 3, 2023, according to an announcement. 

According to the announcement, many states’ DMVs are operating at limited capacity because of the coronavirus pandemic, making it difficult for states to issue Real IDs and driver’s licenses.

"Protecting the health, safety, and security of our communities is our top priority," Mayorkas said in a statement. "As our country continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, extending the Real ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a Real ID-compliant license or identification card." 

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If your license has a star in the upper-right corner, you're all set. Adults who are traveling by plane domestically will be required to show a Real ID in order to go through security. 

Residents of all 50 states -- as well as Washington, D.C., and four U.S. territories -- are issuing Real IDs, the DHS said in its announcement. 

FOX News contributed to this report.