A long-teased new travel document requirement for flying within the US is being fully enforced beginning today.
From May 7 and onward, American travelers need a REAL ID in order to clear Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints without issues for domestic flights.
The TSA had been warning the public for months leading up to the deadline, to apply for the enhanced IDs. State-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards are no longer compliant for air travel. REAL IDs have a distinct star or flag icon at the top corner of the card.
Yesterday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a Congressional panel that 81% of American travelers have obtained REAL IDs.
But with about one-fifth of Americans still without REAL IDs, travelers and airport officials may face confusion, chaos and extended wait times at security checkpoints. That is despite a grace period of sorts that the US is giving.
Travelers lacking a REAL ID will still be able to fly for the time being, but ‘may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step’, said Noem.
‘We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible,’ she said.
Accepted alternatives to the REAL ID include passports and tribal identification. Non-US citizens must carry a passport to enter America, so the screening requirements and process for them remain unchanged.
REAL ID alternatives for domestic travel
State-issued driver’s license and identification cards are no longer accepted for domestic travel as of May 7. Besides a REAL ID, here are the acceptable forms of documentation:
- US passport
- US passport card
- Passport issued by a foreign government
- DHS trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, FAST, NEXUS and SENTRI
- Border crossing card
- US Department of Defense ID
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
- US Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Veteran Health Identification Card
- US Merchant Mariner Credential
Officials have prepared for REAL ID enforcement and say they do not anticipate a backlog with the new rules going into effect.
‘TSA is planning accordingly to ensure no impact to wait times or TSA screening operations,’ Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson with the agency in the New York City region, told the New York Post.
Farbstein said that travelers with only a state-issued identification card ‘will be notified of their non-compliance’ and could be subject to additional screening.
The REAL ID requirement was a long time coming. It was initially scheduled to be implemented in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic caused a backlog in transactions at Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) offices across the US.
To apply for a REAL ID, visit the MVD website or a local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office, and have documentation with full legal name, dateof birth, social security number, proof of address and lawful status.
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