(CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA) — Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River now require REAL ID-compliant identification as the primary access credential for unaffiliated personnel, a policy in effect as of June 12, 2026 that reshapes how civilian visitors, contractors and vendors enter the two installations.

The rule applies across Camp Lejeune and New River to people who do not already hold Department of Defense credentials, making a REAL ID-compliant state-issued license or identification card the preferred route for entry. Base officials treat that credential as the fastest option for routine access.

Department of Homeland Security enforcement of the REAL ID Act began nationwide on May 7, 2025. Camp Lejeune and New River then shifted to REAL ID as their primary access standard on Monday, September 1, 2025, Labor Day.

Brig. Gen. Ralph J. Rizzo, Jr., Commanding General, Marine Corps Installations East – Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, framed the change in an official statement dated August 20, 2025. “This shift allows us to simplify our access control process while continuing to maintain a secure environment for our Marines, sailors and their families. REAL ID provides a consistent and reliable credential that aligns with Department of Defense policies and nationwide standards.”

Camp Lejeune, one of the Marine Corps’ largest East Coast installations, and nearby New River, home to aviation operations, handle a steady flow of non-military traffic tied to construction, deliveries, services and civilian visits. The new access standard places those routine entries under the same identity framework now used more broadly across federal settings under the REAL ID Act of 2005.

Base officials said the affected group includes unaffiliated personnel such as contractors, vendors, suppliers, service providers and civilian visitors. That leaves in place a separate path for people who already carry military identification recognized by the Department of Defense.

Active-duty service members, retirees and their dependents who have a valid Common Access Card, or CAC, or a valid Uniformed Services Identification card, or USID, do not need a REAL ID for base access. Those credentials already satisfy the federal security standards used at the gate.

The primary credential under the Camp Lejeune and New River policy is a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that complies with REAL ID requirements, typically marked with a gold or black star. A license marked “Not for Federal Purposes” or “Federal Limits Apply” does not qualify.

Visitors without a REAL ID are not automatically barred from entry. Alternate identification remains available, including a U.S. Passport, a U.S. Passport Card or a Permanent Resident Card, but those visitors must still clear the installation’s vetting process before they can enter.

That vetting runs through the Visitor Control Center, and in some cases can lead to the issuance of a Defense Biometric Identification System credential, known as DBIDS, or a paper pass. The process adds time and more manual review than the REAL ID route.

Officials tied the change to both security and cost. By leaning more heavily on a federally standardized identity document, the Department of Defense reduces its dependence on local card-printing systems and lowers long-term DBIDS maintenance costs, while also using a consistent federal-level identity verification standard for entry.

Visitors who arrive without a REAL ID should expect longer processing at the Curtis Gate Visitor Center at New River or the Visitor Control Center at Camp Lejeune. Manual vetting and secondary credentialing remain part of the process for people who rely on alternate documents.

Existing DBIDS cardholders can keep using those cards until they expire. The policy change affects new or replacement DBIDS badges more directly, because those credentials will now generally require a REAL ID for issuance.

All unvetted visitors still must report to a Visitor Center to request access, regardless of which identification they present. The shift to REAL ID did not eliminate the screening step for first-time or otherwise unvetted entrants.

The practical result reaches beyond military paperwork. Camp Lejeune and New River sit inside a broader federal travel and documentation system that now treats REAL ID compliance as standard in multiple settings, including airport security checkpoints governed by TSA identification rules. A civilian visitor who uses a REAL ID-compliant license for base access is presenting the same class of credential accepted in other federal screening environments.

That overlap matters most for contractors and service providers who move between airports, federal facilities and military installations in the same workweek. A compliant license can reduce friction at the gate, while a noncompliant card can trigger extra document checks and a separate stop at visitor processing.

Camp Lejeune officials directed people seeking confirmation of the current policy to the base press release on REAL ID implementation at [Official Newsroom – REAL ID Implementation](https://www.lejeune.marines.mil/News/Press-Releases/). New River posts its access procedures at [Official Visitor Information](https://www.newriver.marines.mil/Visitor-Access/).

Federal guidance on the law itself remains available from the Department of Homeland Security at [DHS REAL ID information](https://www.dhs.gov/real-id), while air travelers can review accepted checkpoint documents at [TSA identification requirements](https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification). At the gates of Camp Lejeune and New River, though, the rule is already in force: unaffiliated visitors now move fastest with a REAL ID in hand.