REAL ID will be required to board a flight beginning May 7
DFA to open Revenue Offices Saturday, April 26 to ensure access to REAL ID
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (April 22, 2025) – The Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) is reminding Arkansans a REAL ID will be required by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to board a flight beginning May 7, 2025. A REAL ID will also be required to enter certain federal buildings or a nuclear power plant. To accommodate Arkansans that may be traveling soon and need a REAL ID, DFA will open several Revenue Offices across the state Saturday, April 26. DFA issued 52,000 REAL IDs in March, bringing the total number in the state to approximately 800,000. In Arkansas, the REAL ID is issued at the time of the Revenue Office visit.
The following offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26:
- Little Rock Revenue Office (Ragland Building): 1900 West 7th Street
- Fayetteville Revenue Office: 3086 West Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard
- Jonesboro Revenue Office: 206 Southwest Drive
- Texarkana Revenue Office: 801 East 4th Street
- Monticello Revenue Office: 506 West Gaines
Arkansans may make an appointment to obtain a REAL ID on the 26th at Schedule or Find an Appointment – Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. While an appointment is recommended, it is not required. The offices open Saturday will only be issuing REAL IDs. Any other Revenue Office-related service must be completed between Monday and Friday during normal business hours. Appointments are also available throughout the week for all services.
“DFA has streamlined the process of obtaining a REAL ID, which can be completed in a matter of a few minutes,” said DFA Secretary Jim Hudson. “Our offices are prepared for the large number of Arkansans that will be visiting offices between now and May 7. From eliminating waiting through the new appointment system to serving citizens on Saturday, DFA is committed to providing a great experience.”
Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act requires every state to issue a REAL ID-compliant license or ID, with the same list of required documents across all states.
In order to obtain a REAL ID, the federal government requires Arkansans confirm proof of residency, legal presence and identity and Social Security number through the following documentation:
- Passport or birth certificate
- Two proof of address documents such utility bills or bank statements (dated within the last six months)
- Proof of identity… Current Driver’s License, School or Work ID card, etc.
- Social Security card.
- Name change justification (Marriage Certificate, Divorce Decree, Court order, etc)
DFA encourages Arkansans to visit www.ar.gov/REALID before making the trip to the Revenue Office. The website confirms the documents meet all requirements or specifies which document is missing.
The cost to obtain a REAL ID does not differ from obtaining or renewing a regular license or ID. It is ten dollars to transfer an existing expiration date on a license or ID to a REAL ID. The cost is forty dollars to establish a new, eight year period until expiration.
Additional information on the REAL ID Act of 2005 may be found at www.dhs.gov/real-id.
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