TRAVELERS have been warned of delays at the airport if they don’t have the correct documentation within a few weeks.
Flight ticket holders without a REAL ID might also not be allowed on the regular TSA line because agents will have to thoroughly vet them.
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A senior TSA official told Forbes that those without a REAL ID-compliant form of identification should “expect additional screenings.”
The official said these extra screenings may lead to “delays and the possibility of not being allowed into the checkpoint, and that includes our TSA PreCheck passengers.”
Travelers without proper identification should arrive three hours early at the airport.
The official said those with a REAL ID or other valid documentation should arrive at the airport two hours before their plane is set to depart, “like you do any other time that you fly.”
But those without proper identification should add an extra hour since “it’s most likely they’re going to encounter some of these additional screening measures,” the official warned.
TSA screens an average of 2.6 million travelers a day at airports across the country.
This week, the agency warned that 20% of passengers, about half a million, will likely be delayed or turned away from security checkpoints after May 7.
May 7 is the deadline that travelers 18 and older must have a REAL ID or other approved documentation to fly domestically.
Other accepted forms of documentation include passports, passport cards, military IDs, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler cards and US permanent resident cards.
“If you went to the DMV and are just waiting for your REAL ID hard copy to come in the mail, bring both the paper copy of the REAL ID and your old ID and we will accept that as long as we can verify both of those IDs,” the senior TSA official said.
The official said that smaller airports may experience longer security lines because they “don’t have the option to set up a separate lane for those without a REAL ID.”
There’s an additional risk for round-trip ticket holders who don’t have proper documentation.
Just because you get through TSA the first time to board your plane, doesn’t mean you’ll be approved coming home.
This is because “additional screening will happen every time you go through a TSA checkpoint at a federalized airport,” the official explained.
Applying for a REAL ID
The process varies by state, but residents will need a few documents to apply for a REAL ID before the deadline.
No matter the state, the application process can be started online by scanning and uploading the necessary documents, basic information, and Social Security numbers. Once submitted and reviewed, an in-person visit to the DMV or your state’s department agency is necessary for an attendant to verify the documents.
From there, a thumbprint will be recorded in the system, and a photo will be issued for the ID before it’s mailed.
The documents needed are those that show:
- Full legal name (previous driver’s license, passport, etc)
- Date of birth (like a birth certificate, or an official copy of one)
- Social Security number (Social Security card)
- Two proofs of residence (like a utility bill or voter registration card)
- Lawful status
Source: Department of Homeland Security
HISTORY BEHIND THE REAL ID
The new documentation comes from the REAL ID Act passed in 2005.
Congress passed this act in response to the 9/11 terror attacks, when al-Qaeda hijacked four domestic flights.
The original deadline for travelers to comply with the new documentation was 2008, but it took over a decade for every state to make their driver’s licenses REAL ID-compliant.
There were also delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.
