The
The REAL ID enforcement starts on Wednesday (May 7).
, although officials from the Department of Homeland Security state that individuals without this new form of identification can still fly but will need to arrive at the airport considerably earlier.
During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated
Travelers who do not have a REAL ID will encounter extra security measures.
At U.S. airports, this might involve potentially getting redirected to additional queues.
New York Times
Reports indicate that TSA personnel recently reaffirmed this stance on Reddit, advising travelers without REAL IDs to arrive at the airport 60 minutes before their original schedule.
The REAL ID deadline arrives nearly 20 years to the day after the REAL ID law passed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The requirement for having a
REAL ID
to fly domestically has been continually extended but was finally set in stone by President Biden, with the Trump administration keeping that May 2025 date.
For decades, Americans have been able to fly domestically using only a state-issued driver’s license, but the star-emblazoned REAL ID requires more identity confirmation, including documents verifying addresses and social security numbers. Every state has different rules on how you turn their state ID or driver’s license into a federally-compliant REAL ID. California, for example, asks travelers to fill out an online application, upload necessary documents (like passports and birth certificates for personal identification and utility bills to prove California residency), provide a social security number, then go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office — with the hard copies of the documents you uploaded — before the REAL ID is issued.
American travelers without REAL IDs can still fly domestically, and without extra security, with a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card, a Global Entry card, or a Department of Defense ID.
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