- TSA formally recertified Maryland’s REAL ID compliance on September 16, 2026.
- The state reported 99.56% of credentials met REAL ID standards across licenses and ID cards.
- Federal agencies can keep accepting Maryland REAL IDs at TSA airport security checkpoints.
The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration said the Transportation Security Administration formally recertified the state’s continuous compliance with federal REAL ID requirements on September 16, 2026.
The action keeps Maryland-issued credentials eligible for federal identity verification. It also confirms the state’s licensing system continues to meet the requirements reviewed by the agency.
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The recertification applies to secure, REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards issued by the state. The MVA announced the federal determination.
Travelers will see the immediate effect at airport screening. Federal agencies can continue accepting Maryland-issued REAL IDs, including for identity verification at TSA airport security checkpoints.
The agency described the decision as a continuation of existing compliance. It did not announce a new rollout.
A state statement summarized the federal finding this way:
“TSA has formally recertified the State of Maryland’s continuous compliance with federal REAL ID requirements.”
The compliance figure shows how widely the federal designation appears across the state’s credentials. As of September 2026, 99.56% of driver’s licenses and identification cards met the REAL ID standard.
The state said that placed Maryland among the highest in the nation. The figure covers both licenses and identification cards, rather than only one category of credential.
The recertification confirms secure credentials still meet federal standards
The MVA said the finding confirms that Maryland continues meeting federal standards for issuing secure, REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.
That conclusion concerns the state’s continuing licensing operation. It is not a new credential program or a first-time approval described in the announcement.
The determination also allows federal agencies to keep accepting qualifying state-issued credentials for identity verification. Airport security checkpoints are the clearest example identified by the state.
The agency’s action therefore addresses both issuance standards and federal use. The same state credentials remain available for the federal identity checks covered by the determination.
The review checks how Maryland issues, protects and records credentials
The recertification review reaches beyond the appearance or federal marking on an individual card. It includes the systems supporting the state’s licensing operation:
- state policies governing the program;
- procedures used to issue credentials;
- physical security controls protecting the process and records; and
- record management.
Together, those categories cover how the state administers credentials, safeguards the systems and materials involved, and maintains the records connected to issuance. The MVA said the review confirmed continued compliance with federal standards.
The review’s scope explains why the state calls the result a recertification. The federal determination assesses an operating system, not simply a particular batch of licenses or identification cards.
Federal law makes compliance a recurring review
The federal REAL ID Act requires states to periodically recertify that their licensing systems continue to meet federal security requirements. The MVA said the recertification process measures compliance with U.S. Department of Homeland Security standards.
That requirement makes the status ongoing. States must continue meeting the standards as their licensing policies, procedures and record systems operate.
The September finding records that Maryland met those continuing requirements. The result preserves federal acceptance of qualifying credentials for the purposes identified in the state announcement.
The process also separates the compliance rate from the federal review itself. The state reported 99.56% of credentials as compliant, while the recertification addressed the broader system used to issue and manage them.
The state notice was updated one day after the recertification
The official state announcement is dated September 16, 2026. Its page was last updated September 17, 2026.
The notice presents the status as a federal recertification of continued compliance, not a new rollout. The latest update therefore records a continuing federal determination and the state’s current compliance position.
The announcement came from the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration, while TSA issued the recertification. The two agencies’ roles are distinct: the state administers the licensing system, and the federal agency makes the recertification determination.
