Travelers have less than a month to make sure their drivers licenses or identification cards are Real ID-compliant if they want to ease through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at airports and prevent unnecessary delays.
Congress approved the new enhanced security protocol two decades ago following recommendations from the panel that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but repeated setbacks have pushed the deadline for compliance to May 7 of this year.
“With the upcoming federal enforcement of REAL ID exactly four weeks away, I can’t stress enough the importance of travelers being prepared,” TSA federal security director Kc Wurtsbaugh said in a statement Wednesday. “Even if you don’t have plans to travel by air now, your plans could change. Now is the time to make a plan.”
What it is:
Real ID-verified drivers licenses or identification cards are issued through all states’ existing drivers licensing agencies, but they require additional measures to make them more secure.
Applicants must personally provide, at minimum, documents that verify their full legal names, birthdays, Social Security numbers, legal residence and lawful status.
Who needs it:
Every air traveler 18 years and older will need a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, identification card, U.S. passport, U.S. military ID or another federally approved form of identification to board a U.S. commercial aircraft after next month’s deadline. TSA will not accept temporary paper copies of licenses.
Real ID certification also will be required to enter federal facilities or nuclear power plants.
Children younger than 18 are not required to have Real ID-compliant identification when traveling domestically with a companion who has the certification.
Real ID isn’t necessary for most other licensing privileges, such as driving.
How to know if an ID is REAL:
Many states have been issuing drivers licenses for years that meet the enhanced REAL ID standards, but some offer them as an opt-in feature or have only recently made the switch, so not all licenses are compliant.
Real ID cards have special markers on them — typically a star or flag to designate that they are compliant.
