NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 The deadline to get a REAL ID is fast approaching after years of postponements and delays.
Starting May 7, your license or identification card will need to be REAL ID-compliant to fly domestically in the U.S.
Unfortunately, this time. So, if you鈥檙e confused about how to get a REAL ID, why you even need one in the first place, and what happens if you don鈥檛 have one by May 7, here are some things to know:
What is a REAL ID?
It鈥檚 a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that the DHS says is a more secure form of identification. Besides needing a REAL ID to fly domestically, you will also need one to access certain federal buildings and facilities.
Why is this happening?
When the REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005, it enacted a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that the government set security standards for state-issued driver鈥檚 licenses and IDs.
鈥淩EAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver鈥檚 licenses and identification cards,鈥 John Essig, the Transportation Security Administration鈥檚 Security Director for airports in the New York City region said in a press release on April 3. 鈥淭he improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists鈥 ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.鈥
The REAL ID Act was supposed to begin rolling out in 2008, 鈥渂ut has faced repeated delays due to state implementation challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic,鈥 said Nina Ruggiero, senior editorial director for Travel + Leisure. 鈥淭he combination of varying state processes and shifting deadlines has added to the overall confusion around REAL IDs and likely led some travelers to take the deadlines less seriously.鈥
How do I know if I already have a REAL ID?
If you鈥檝e gotten a new ID in the last few years, it could already be REAL ID-compliant.
鈥淚 also hear from travelers who are confused as to whether or not they already have a REAL ID,鈥 Ruggiero said. 鈥淪ome people who have recently renewed their license may already have a compliant ID and not know it,鈥 so you may want to double-check yours before starting the process.
A REAL ID-compliant driver鈥檚 license has a symbol ( ) in the top corner of the card.
If you live in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington, it鈥檚 possible you could have an 鈥渆nhanced鈥 ID card instead, which permits you to both fly domestically and cross land and sea borders into Mexico and Canada from the U.S. It does not, however, allow you to fly into either of those countries.
Enhanced IDs will have an American flag icon, as well as the word 鈥渆nhanced鈥 at the top of the card.
If I don鈥檛 have a REAL ID, how do I get one?
The requirements vary by state, so you will need to visit the website of your state鈥檚 driver鈥檚 licensing agency to find out the specific steps, including whether you鈥檒l need to make an appointment at a DMV and what documentation you鈥檒l need when you get there.
What happens on May 7? What if I don鈥檛 have a REAL ID by then?
If you don鈥檛 have a REAL ID by the deadline and you鈥檙e planning to board a domestic flight, you will need to bring your passport or another when you travel.
Otherwise, you could face 鈥渄elays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,鈥 warns TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
The deadline has already been pushed back so many times. Could it be delayed again?
In mid-April, a group of state senators from Kentucky asked the agency to delay implementing the new requirements yet again. They said the state has limited appointments available to people seeking the new cards and that there has been a rush to meet the May 7 deadline.
However, TSA spokesperson Dan Velez told the AP that the agency does not intend to delay the REAL ID deadline again.
As of late April, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints were presenting acceptable identification, including a state-issued REAL ID, according to DHS.
