REAL ID Rollout in USVI Still Pending as TSA Programming Continues

The V.I. Bureau of Motor Vehicles has announced a delay in the issuance of newly designed REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards until the Transportation Security Administration confirms the updated cards are programmed into its nationwide verification system. According to a press release issued Monday, BMV Director Barbara Jackson-McIntosh stated that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s TSA has advised the BMV that the new U.S. Virgin Islands REAL ID credentials will be uploaded into the TSA database in April 2025, ahead of the federal deadline of May 7, 2025, after which the REAL ID will be required for certain forms of domestic travel. The delay in card issuance comes as a result of significant changes to the REAL ID card’s design, layout, and security features, which were updated in accordance with industry standards and anti-counterfeit protections. The updated credentials were sent to TSA for inclusion in its computer data library, which is used at ...