Which specific federal courthouses currently require REAL ID for entry and where can I check before visiting?
Executive summary
Multiple federal district and bankruptcy courts are publicly saying that REAL ID is not required to enter their courthouses — state-issued photo IDs and other federal IDs remain acceptable — but federal guidance also directs visitors to confirm local entrance rules because some federal facilities and agency-occupied buildings are implementing staged REAL ID enforcement [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7].
1. What the courts themselves are saying: many districts explicitly exempt courthouse entry from REAL ID
Several district and bankruptcy court notices published by local courts state that federal courthouses remain exempt from the REAL ID Act’s identification requirement for access to court proceedings, and that state-issued IDs, passports, or federal IDs are acceptable for entry — examples include the Eastern District of Virginia, Eastern District of Louisiana, Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania, and the District of Montana bankruptcy court [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
2. What federal agencies say: check facility-by-facility and expect phased enforcement
Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Protective Service emphasize that federal entry requirements can vary by facility and that visitors should confirm entrance requirements before attempting access; DHS/FPS materials instruct people to verify requirements for the specific federal facility they intend to visit [7]. The Department of Commerce’s published policy shows a phased approach for REAL ID enforcement at DOC-occupied facilities, with full enforcement beginning January 1, 2026 for DOC sites that require ID for entry, illustrating how agency-occupied buildings can set their own timelines [6].
3. No authoritative national list in the provided reporting — the practical implication
The reporting provided does not contain a single, authoritative nationwide list of specific federal courthouses that currently require REAL ID for entry; instead the available documents are a patchwork of district court notices saying courthouses remain exempt and federal agency guidance urging visitors to confirm local rules [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [6]. Because the sources do not publish a consolidated roster of individual courthouses enforcing REAL ID, it is not possible from these materials alone to name a definitive set of courthouses that currently require REAL ID.
4. Where to check before visiting: an exact, reliable checklist
Reliable, documentable checks are (a) the local U.S. district or bankruptcy court website for the courthouse to be visited — many courts publish “Courthouse Entrance Requirements” or notices titled “REAL ID Not Required” (examples: eastern district courthouse PDFs and district notices cited above) [1] [3] [4] [5]; (b) the specific courthouse’s entrance policy PDF or news page (district court sites often post PDFs with security and ID rules) [1] [2]; (c) the Federal Protective Service or DHS pages that list federal facility entrance rules and advise contacting the facility for current practices [7]; and (d) agency-specific guidance when visiting buildings occupied by other agencies (for example, Department of Commerce enforcement schedules) [6].
5. Conflicting or sensational reporting and how to read it
Some state DMV and media write-ups have presented broader statements implying that “federal courthouses” broadly will require REAL ID; local court notices contradict that broad framing for their jurisdictions, producing apparent conflicts — for example, California DMV and ABC coverage flagged courthouses among federal sites subject to REAL ID rules while many district courts assert exemption for courtroom access [8] [9] [3]. The appropriate reading is that high-level federal enforcement policies and agency schedules inform—but do not automatically override—local courthouse entrance policies and constitutional exceptions for judicial access, so the correct practice is verifying the specific courthouse’s posted rules [7] [6] [3].
6. Bottom line and recommended action
There is no single list in the supplied reporting that names specific courthouses currently requiring REAL ID; many district courts say REAL ID is not required for entry and federal guidance tells visitors to confirm local rules, so the only reliable way to know is to consult the courthouse’s official website or entrance-policy PDF and, if in doubt, call the courthouse/security office before arriving [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [7] [6].