Travelers are required to have REAL IDs or other acceptable forms of identification to board domestic flights as of Wednesday – a deadline a long time in the making. People who have yet to obtain one can still fly for now, but they will need to undergo extra security procedures.
"If it's not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel Tuesday.
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The Transportation Security Administration website explains what will happen to travelers who reach secuirty checkpoints without an acceptable ID:
"The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.
"You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if you choose to not provide acceptable identification, you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process, or your identity cannot be confirmed."
Travelers without REAL IDs can board domestic flights with a U.S. passport or a passport issued by a foreign government. A passport remains required to fly internationally.
Children under 18 do not need a REAL ID to fly domestically if they are traveling with a companion who has an acceptable form of identification.
REAL IDS also are now necessary to enter a federal building or military base. They are not needed to vote or drive.
The requirements for acquiring a REAL ID vary from state to state. Pennsylvania residents can find a checklist of necessary documents on PennDOT's website. For New Jersey residents, requirements are available on the Motor Vehicle Commission's website.
REAL IDs, which contain anti-counterfeiting technology, are required under a 2005 law that Congress enacted at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission. The law sets national security standards for state-issued IDs.
Enforcement originally was slated to begin in May 2008, but the federal government has postponed the deadline multiple times. The most recent postponement came in 2022, when the government pushed back the deadline from May 3, 2023 to May 7, 2025.
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