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| Planning to Fly? You’ll Need This ID | Planning to Fly? You’ll Need This ID |
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| It’s a change nearly 20 years in the making: a post-Sept. 11 law requiring that U.S. travelers carry more than a standard driver’s license to board a domestic flight. Now, after years of delays, it is finally kicking into gear. | It’s a change nearly 20 years in the making: a post-Sept. 11 law requiring that U.S. travelers carry more than a standard driver’s license to board a domestic flight. Now, after years of delays, it is finally kicking into gear. |
| Beginning May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers flying within the United States will need to show Transportation Security Administration agents either a security-enhanced driver’s license that’s Real ID-compliant or another T.S.A.-approved form of identification like a passport. A state driver’s license that does not contain the Real ID seal will no longer be accepted. | Beginning May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers flying within the United States will need to show Transportation Security Administration agents either a security-enhanced driver’s license that’s Real ID-compliant or another T.S.A.-approved form of identification like a passport. A state driver’s license that does not contain the Real ID seal will no longer be accepted. |
| Real ID is a driver’s license or identification card that bears a special seal, which signifies that the bearer of the card has been screened and approved according to a standard set by the federal government, rather than just by the state issuing the license. | Real ID is a driver’s license or identification card that bears a special seal, which signifies that the bearer of the card has been screened and approved according to a standard set by the federal government, rather than just by the state issuing the license. |
| In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government realized that nearly all of the hijackers who boarded commercial planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Penn., were carrying U.S. driver’s licenses and state IDs, and most of those documents had been obtained fraudulently. | In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government realized that nearly all of the hijackers who boarded commercial planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Penn., were carrying U.S. driver’s licenses and state IDs, and most of those documents had been obtained fraudulently. |
| In the years that followed, the federal government began an effort to tighten national standards for state-issued documentation, and in 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act. The act sets minimum standards for driver’s licenses and other types of identification cards. Once the law kicks into gear, any traveler who wishes to use a driver’s license or state-issued ID at a T.S.A. checkpoint must make sure that it is Real ID-compliant. | In the years that followed, the federal government began an effort to tighten national standards for state-issued documentation, and in 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act. The act sets minimum standards for driver’s licenses and other types of identification cards. Once the law kicks into gear, any traveler who wishes to use a driver’s license or state-issued ID at a T.S.A. checkpoint must make sure that it is Real ID-compliant. |
| “The findings of the 9/11 Commission clearly identified gaps in security management of state-level procured identity cards and driver’s licenses,” said Frank Harrison, the North America regional security director for World Travel Protection, a risk management company. “The Real ID Act provides a national framework of screening and approval to ensure consistency and integrity of programs. In other words, each state will maintain authority over their ID issuances, but they collectively will adhere to one standard of practice.” | “The findings of the 9/11 Commission clearly identified gaps in security management of state-level procured identity cards and driver’s licenses,” said Frank Harrison, the North America regional security director for World Travel Protection, a risk management company. “The Real ID Act provides a national framework of screening and approval to ensure consistency and integrity of programs. In other words, each state will maintain authority over their ID issuances, but they collectively will adhere to one standard of practice.” |
| The Real ID Act was initially set to be enforced in 2008 and has been delayed a number of times. | The Real ID Act was initially set to be enforced in 2008 and has been delayed a number of times. |
| “It’s remarkable how long it has taken for this to come into effect,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of the travel platform Scott’s Cheap Flights. “It’s been decades in the making.” | “It’s remarkable how long it has taken for this to come into effect,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of the travel platform Scott’s Cheap Flights. “It’s been decades in the making.” |
| The easiest way to tell is just to look at it. Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses have a star, usually in gold or black. The stars look slightly different on each state’s licenses — in California, it sits on top of an image of a bear, which is the state animal — but it’s always located in the top right corner. | The easiest way to tell is just to look at it. Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses have a star, usually in gold or black. The stars look slightly different on each state’s licenses — in California, it sits on top of an image of a bear, which is the state animal — but it’s always located in the top right corner. |
| A license that is not Real-ID compliant will not have a star in the corner, and some will also have the words “federal limits apply.” | A license that is not Real-ID compliant will not have a star in the corner, and some will also have the words “federal limits apply.” |
| Real ID-compliant licenses and identification cards are now being issued in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and the majority of U.S. territories. American Samoa is not yet issuing them. | Real ID-compliant licenses and identification cards are now being issued in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and the majority of U.S. territories. American Samoa is not yet issuing them. |
| Each state has a different process for applying for a Real ID, so applicants should check requirements online. New Yorkers can visit a special Department of Motor Vehicles page detailing the process; many other states, including California and Texas, offer similar sites either through their D.M.V. or government portals. In most instances, you can get a Real ID by visiting your local D.M.V., either as part of a standard license renewal or by filling out a special application. | Each state has a different process for applying for a Real ID, so applicants should check requirements online. New Yorkers can visit a special Department of Motor Vehicles page detailing the process; many other states, including California and Texas, offer similar sites either through their D.M.V. or government portals. In most instances, you can get a Real ID by visiting your local D.M.V., either as part of a standard license renewal or by filling out a special application. |
| But no matter where you live, to apply for a Real ID or change your license over, you’ll need to provide a Social Security number, prove your address through documents like a utility bill or bank statement, and verify your identity through a handful of additional documents like a birth certificate or passport. | |
| In many instances, there is no additional cost to receive a Real ID if you’re already renewing your license, although some states charge extra — in Pennsylvania, for example, it’s an additional $30 on top of the renewal fee. | In many instances, there is no additional cost to receive a Real ID if you’re already renewing your license, although some states charge extra — in Pennsylvania, for example, it’s an additional $30 on top of the renewal fee. |
| Yes. There are a number of other forms of identification that T.S.A. agents will accept for domestic air travel starting in May. These include a passport, a permanent residency card (also known as a Green Card), or the card for trusted traveler programs, including Global Entry and NEXUS, which allows pre-screened travelers to transit quickly across the United States-Canada border. | Yes. There are a number of other forms of identification that T.S.A. agents will accept for domestic air travel starting in May. These include a passport, a permanent residency card (also known as a Green Card), or the card for trusted traveler programs, including Global Entry and NEXUS, which allows pre-screened travelers to transit quickly across the United States-Canada border. |
| In addition, a handful of states — Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Washington and Vermont — offer Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, or E.D.L.s. Some travelers may prefer to opt for these over a Real ID because they can also be used at some land or sea border crossings. They provide proof of U.S. citizenship, much like a passport, and are equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip that can display biographic and biometric data on the owner, including facial image, gender, date of birth and citizenship status, to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. | In addition, a handful of states — Minnesota, Michigan, New York, Washington and Vermont — offer Enhanced Driver’s Licenses, or E.D.L.s. Some travelers may prefer to opt for these over a Real ID because they can also be used at some land or sea border crossings. They provide proof of U.S. citizenship, much like a passport, and are equipped with a radio-frequency identification (RFID) chip that can display biographic and biometric data on the owner, including facial image, gender, date of birth and citizenship status, to U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents. |
| E.D.L.s are Real ID-compliant, as well, although instead of a star, they have an American flag. The flag’s location varies by state. | E.D.L.s are Real ID-compliant, as well, although instead of a star, they have an American flag. The flag’s location varies by state. |
| E.D.L.s can be used by travelers crossing land and sea borders to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, but they can’t be used in lieu of a passport if you’re traveling anywhere by air. | E.D.L.s can be used by travelers crossing land and sea borders to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the Caribbean, but they can’t be used in lieu of a passport if you’re traveling anywhere by air. |
| No. The T.S.A. doesn’t require kids under the age of 18 to show any identification right now when they’re traveling domestically with an adult. | No. The T.S.A. doesn’t require kids under the age of 18 to show any identification right now when they’re traveling domestically with an adult. |
| For international travel, children of all ages are required to carry passports and that will continue. | For international travel, children of all ages are required to carry passports and that will continue. |
| It can’t. For the vast majority of travelers, becoming Real ID-compliant will be a matter of simply updating their driver’s licenses. Real IDs cannot be used at any international border, including land crossings with Canada and Mexico, and they can’t be used for sea travel on a cruise, either. International travelers will still be required to carry a passport. | It can’t. For the vast majority of travelers, becoming Real ID-compliant will be a matter of simply updating their driver’s licenses. Real IDs cannot be used at any international border, including land crossings with Canada and Mexico, and they can’t be used for sea travel on a cruise, either. International travelers will still be required to carry a passport. |
| Maybe. Many organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of New York, have decried the Real ID Act as a threat to personal privacy and an overstep of information gathering on the part of the federal government. | Maybe. Many organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union of New York, have decried the Real ID Act as a threat to personal privacy and an overstep of information gathering on the part of the federal government. |
| “A lot of the security and privacy concerns revolve around the fact that it’s pushing every state’s D.M.V. into a national database,” said Anaya Robinson, a senior policy strategist for the A.C.L.U. of Colorado. “If someone were to hack that singular database, they could get the personal information of anyone.” | “A lot of the security and privacy concerns revolve around the fact that it’s pushing every state’s D.M.V. into a national database,” said Anaya Robinson, a senior policy strategist for the A.C.L.U. of Colorado. “If someone were to hack that singular database, they could get the personal information of anyone.” |
| For undocumented immigrants who seek out driver’s licenses so they can legally operate a motor vehicle, the shift to Real ID also presents a threat, Mr. Robinson added. “There’s a severe privacy concern in the immigration space of the federal government, Homeland Security and I.C.E. being able to access that information,” he said. | For undocumented immigrants who seek out driver’s licenses so they can legally operate a motor vehicle, the shift to Real ID also presents a threat, Mr. Robinson added. “There’s a severe privacy concern in the immigration space of the federal government, Homeland Security and I.C.E. being able to access that information,” he said. |
| In addition to centralizing personal data like addresses and citizenship status into a federal database, the cards also carry a machine-readable zone that can be scanned for information on the card owner’s identity, which detractors say also presents a risk of identify theft. | In addition to centralizing personal data like addresses and citizenship status into a federal database, the cards also carry a machine-readable zone that can be scanned for information on the card owner’s identity, which detractors say also presents a risk of identify theft. |
| But only 37 percent of Americans have a passport, according to estimates from the U.S. State Department, so if you plan to fly after May 2023 and don’t want to scramble with alternative documentation, you’ll need to update your driver’s license. | But only 37 percent of Americans have a passport, according to estimates from the U.S. State Department, so if you plan to fly after May 2023 and don’t want to scramble with alternative documentation, you’ll need to update your driver’s license. |
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