Has demand for REAL ID peaked in NC? See how interest has changed in the past 5 years.

Demand for REAL ID driver’s license and ID cards in North Carolina has fluctuated since the Division of Motor Vehicles began issuing them in May 2017.

More than 3 million North Carolinians now have REAL IDs. Demand grew fairly steadily over the first two years, as the federal government prepared to enforce new identification requirements to board a domestic flight starting in October 2020. On average, about 73,000 people a month received a REAL ID just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

With DMV offices shuttered and people’s attention elsewhere, demand collapsed. The Trump administration put off the new ID standards for another year, to October 2021, relieving the urgency to get one.

The Biden administration also cited the COVID-19 pandemic when it further delayed enforcement of the ID standards until May 3, 2023. DMV offices nationwide were still not operating at full capacity, the government said.

But people are still opting to get a REAL ID when they renew or get a new license. Since March 2021, the DMV has issued an average of about 46,000 a month.