UPDATE: Trump extends Real ID deadline by 1 year amid coronavirus, giving relief to California DMV

President Donald Trump announced Monday afternoon that he plans to postpone the Oct. 1 deadline for Americans to obtain a Real ID card because of the novel coronavirus outbreak, relieving pressure on states like California where millions of people have yet to apply for the new kind of driver’s license.

Trump did not immediately say what the new deadline would be, but the Department of Homeland Security confirmed on Thursday it would be extended by one year.

The Real ID deadline worried drivers and DMV employees alike because obtained the new kind of identification card requires a visit to a state office. Customers and state workers have said DMV offices are unsafe in the COVID-19 outbreak, and going to one contradicts the stay-at-home orders that mayors and Gov. Gavin Newsom have handed down to slow the spread of the virus.

“We’re postponing the deadline for compliance with Real ID requirements,” Trump said during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House. “At a time when we’re asking Americans to maintain social distancing, we do want to require people to go with their local DMV.”

As of last month, roughly 16 million California drivers were expected to come to the DMV by the end of the year for a Real ID. Travelers would have needed a Real ID card to fly on domestic airlines by Oct. 1, unless they carried a passport. Trump’s decision comes as a major relief for the department.

“The California DMV is encouraged by the president’s remarks indicating that the federal government will extend the enforcement date for Real ID,” said a statement from Steve Gordon, director of California’s DMV. “This would relieve the urgency for people to visit local DMV offices and bolster the state’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to learning more about the President’s direction and sharing that information with the public.”

This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 4:25 PM.