Can I still fly if I do not have a REAL ID Compliant Document???
At this time, in the event you arrive at the airport without valid identification, because it is lost, stolen, at home, OR YOU DO NOT HAVE a REAL ID-compliant document, you may still be allowed to fly. Please bring any document you may have to prove your identity, such as your Driver’s License, even if it is expired. The TSA officer may ask you to complete a form that includes your name and current address, and may also ask additional questions to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be permitted to proceed to the screening checkpoint. You may be subject to further screening.
You will not be allowed to fly if your identity cannot be confirmed, you choose not to provide proper identification, or you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process.
Please note that the TSA/DHS will not continue with this procedure indefinitely.
REAL ID Act
Starting May 7, 2025, standard drivers licenses and ID Cards will no longer be accepted as valid forms of ID for boarding domestic flights.
The REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing certain federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on December 20, 2013 a phased enforcement plan for the REAL ID Act (the Act), as passed by Congress, that will implement the Act in a measured, fair, and responsible way.
Secure driver’s licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards.
DHS is committed to enforcing the REAL ID Act in accordance with the phased enforcement schedule and regulatory timeframes. It has been 16 years since the REAL ID Act was passed and half of all the states have already met the REAL ID minimum standards.
HELPFUL LINKS:
https://www.dol.wa.gov/id-cards/real-id
https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/about-real-id
https://www.dhs.gov/news/2022/12/05/dhs-announces-extension-real-id-full-enforcement-deadline