A new travel document for US citizens has come into force today.
From May 7, people who fly through the US on domestic flights will need a new form of identification, called a REAL ID, to get through security.
The identification is a plastic card, roughly the same size as a credit card or driving licence, and has your personal information on it just like a normal ID card, such as your birthday, full name and a photograph.
Before the change, people were allowed to fly domestically in the US with their driving licences or passports.
The US Government’s security agency, Transportation Security Administration (TSA), has been warning the public for months leading up to the deadline, to apply for the enhanced IDs.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a Congressional panel yesterday that 81% of American travelers have obtained REAL IDs.
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But she said around one-fifth of Americans still haven’t applied for the REAL IDs, meaning that passengers and airport officials could face confusion, chaos and extended wait times at security checkpoints.
Passengers who don’t have a REAL ID will still be able to fly for the time being, but ‘may be diverted to a different line and have an extra step’, Noem said.
‘We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.’
Security officials meanwhile have said enforcement and measures in place preventing any backlog at security.
Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson with the agency in the New York City region,told the New York Post: ‘TSA is planning accordingly to ensure no impact to wait times or TSA screening operations.’
Farbstein said that travellers with only a state-issued identification card ‘will be notified of their non-compliance’ and could be subject to additional screening.
Accepted alternatives to the REAL ID include passports and tribal identification, which are ID cards typically used by Native Americans.
Non-US citizens must carry a passport to enter America, so the screening process for international travellers has not changed.
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
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, US citizens need to visit their state Motor Vehicle Division website in their state or branch of Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office, and have documentation with full legal name, date of birth, social security number, proof of address and lawful status.
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