You can know if your driver's license is a REAL ID by checking for a specific marking: a star in the upper right corner of the license or ID card. This star indicates that the license is REAL ID-compliant, meeting federal security standards for identification

. Key points to identify a REAL ID license:

• Look for a gold star or a star inside a specific design (such as a circle or state silhouette) in the top right corner of your license or ID

• If your license lacks this star and instead says "Not for Federal Identification" or "Not for Real ID Purposes," it is not REAL ID-compliant

• Some states may have slight variations in the star's design but the presence of a star is the universal sign of REAL ID compliance

• Enhanced licenses or IDs (e.g., Michigan enhanced license) are automatically REAL ID-compliant, even if they do not have a star

If you want to verify further or confirm the authenticity of your license beyond the REAL ID star, official state DMV websites provide guidance on how to apply for or verify REAL ID status. Additionally, physical and electronic verification methods exist for confirming a license’s legitimacy, including checking security features like holograms, barcodes, and using document readers, but these are typically used by officials or verification services

. In summary, the simplest way to know if your license is a REAL ID is to check for the star in the upper right corner of the card