Do you have to have a REAL ID by May 7? What to know
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — It's something that has been talked about for years, but beginning Wednesday, air travelers will be required to show what's called a 'REAL ID' when going through TSA. This rule isn't just for major airports, but for small airports such as Sioux City as well.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005, based on findings of the 9/11 Commission that showed the TSA needed to raise the baseline for security on state-issued IDs. After being delayed several times, officials say they are committed to the enforcement coming on Wednesday.
'May 7 is only a deadline if you're traveling on May 7,' TSA regional spokesperson Mark Howell said. 'We're calling it an enforcement date. So, really, your deadline for REAL ID is going to be the next time you're traveling or the next time you're going to visit a federal building that requires a REAL ID to enter.'
The way to know if you have a REAL ID is to look at the top right corner of your license, and if you see a star, you're good to go.
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Howell said the differences between a REAL ID and a legacy ID are different.
'The REAL ID has a number of additional security features on it, like holographic, photo inlays, things like that, that make it nearly impossible to replicate or counterfeit,' Howell said.
Those without REAL IDs will face inconvenience and delays, which is why officials ask those travelers to get to the airport three hours early.
'There's a potential we're going to have to do a full identity verification, which can take some time,' Howell said.
TSA officials report that so far, 81% of travelers either have the REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification.
On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that travelers who don't have a REAL ID will be able to fly after the REAL ID deadline hits, but they will have to provide an additional form of identification, such as a passport.
In the three Siouxland states, a REAL ID is distinguished by the star on the upper right of your ID.
Sioux Gateway Airport told KCAU 9 that they do not anticipate big problems since they only have two flights per day. Officials at the airport said that they have already began watching for REAL IDs ahead of Wednesday's enforcement date.
'So, for the majority of the passengers that we have randomly checked, a lot of them do have the REAL ID,' Sioux Gateway Airport manager Alvin Lorenzo said. 'There probably was one or two that did not that we know of, but they've been reminded that they do need that REAL ID on their card.'
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was before members of Congress on Tuesday to set the stage for the ID rollout.
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'So, we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible,' Noem said. 'And the travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary, but we are telling people that this law will be enforced and it will allow us to know individuals in the country who they are and that they're authorized to travel.
Noem told a Congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements.
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