NIH Will Enforce REAL ID Act in October

Starting Oct. 1, NIH will no longer accept driver’s licenses or other forms of identification from visitors seeking to enter campus unless those credentials are compliant with the REAL ID Act.

As a federal agency, NIH cannot admit visitors without an acceptable form of ID. These same standards apply to NIH staff who forget their ID badge and must access NIH facilities as a visitor. Patients, regardless of identification, will continue to be allowed on campus upon verification of their status on a protocol with the admissions office at the Clinical Center.

The REAL ID Act of 2005 established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, such as NIH, from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards that do not meet these standards as of Oct. 1, 2021. 

For additional information about the Real ID Act, visit https://www.dhs.gov/real-id.