Planning to fly without a Real ID license? You'll need one of these documents
It can take up to four weeks to receive a new Michigan license after filling out paperwork through the Michigan Secretary of State's office, which means you can't ask for one and receive it the same day. Instead, you will have to rely on other forms of approved identification.
Even if you don't have an alternative approved form, TSA officers may simply ask you to complete an identity verification process that includes collecting information, such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the security screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.
If you don't have one of the approved alternatives, you need to take steps to obtain a Real ID compliant license or one of the other ID forms.
Teens/ children typically don't need identification to fly with a parent or guardian.
"Transportation Security Administration does not require children under age 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States," according to the Michigan Department of State.
Here's what to know about Real ID alternatives.
If you have a passport, you can use that instead of a REAL ID to board domestic flights, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
If you want the convenience of using your driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights, then you'll need to get a REAL ID.
Passports (or passport cards in some cases) are always required for international travel.
Routine passport applications take 4 to 6 weeks to process. Expedited applications take 2 to 3 weeks. Urgent requests can be completed in person in 14 days.
TSA-approved Real ID alternatives include:
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
Michigan enhanced driver's license
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
The deadline to have a Real ID-compliant identification was May 7, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security offers an online tool to check whether you have acceptable ID.
Real ID compliance is part of a larger act passed by Congress in 2005 to set 'minimum security standards' for the distribution of identification materials, including driver's licenses, USA TODAY reported.
"Transportation Security Administration does not require children under age 18 to provide identification when traveling with a companion within the United States," according to the Michigan Department of State.
More: Your guide to Real ID in Michigan: Deadline, how to get it, what it looks like, more
The law means certain federal agencies, like the Transportation Security Administration or the Department of Homeland Security, won't be allowed to accept state-issued forms of identification that don't include a Real ID seal.
Yes, the Michigan Secretary of State will continue to offer Real ID-compliant licenses in the future. You can upgrade your license when you renew or by making an appointment.
More: Can I still travel without a Real ID? Here are the alternatives
You can update your ID by visiting your local Michigan Secretary of State branch office. You'll need to bring the following documents, per the department:
Your current Michigan driver's license or ID.
A valid, unexpired U.S. passport, birth certificate, or other proof of legal presence document.
A certified legal name-change document, if your name is different from what is on your birth certificate.
From Feb. 23 to May 17, the Michigan Secretary of State said, workers issued 202,571 real ID-compliant driver's licenses or state IDs to Michiganders.
The week of May 4 was the busiest of the year, with 28,289 converted IDs issued. More than 76% of Michigan residents have compliant licenses, the SoS said.
Michigan had about 7.0 million licensed drivers as of 2020, according to the Federal Highway Administration.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Real ID rules are in effect. What you need to get onto a plane
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Visitors to the U.S. on business and tourist visas may have to pay $15,000 bonds
Some international visitors to the United States might be required to pay up to $15,000 deposits as part of a new visa bond pilot program announced by the State Department this week in a document published in the Federal Register. The pilot program is another strategy the Trump administration is utilizing to crack down on illegal immigration and is meant to discourage the number of visitors who overstay their visas. The State Department said in the filing that those who overstay their visas pose a national security threat to the U.S. The program is being formed as part of the enforcement of a January executive order in which President Donald Trump declared there was an invasion by illegal immigration through U.S. borders. The consular officers in the respective U.S embassies will determine the amount of the bond during the issuance of the visa. Travelers will have to post the assigned bond amount before they are issued a single-entry visa, which will be valid for three months. Travelers with visa bonds would also be limited to traveling in and out of pre-selected airports. The list of airports has yet to be announced. The administration said 500,000 people overstayed their visas in 2023, based on data from the Department of Homeland Security. The pilot bond program will focus on those countries that the administration has identified as having high visa overstays. The program is limited to only B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas. It does not affect students applying for F-1 student visas. The full list of countries has yet to be announced. A State Department spokesperson said business and tourist visitors from Malawi and Zambia who are eligible for the B-1/B-2 visas will have to post bonds starting Aug. 20. According to Homeland Security's 2023 fiscal year visa overstay data, Malawi had a total visa overstay rate of 14% from 1,655 visitors, and Zambia had 11% from 3,493 visitors. The complete list of countries will be published when the program takes effect. This new program comes as South Florida airports saw a decline in the number of domestic and international travellers compared to the previous year. Dan Linblade, the president and CEO of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than 1,250 companies, said in a statement that international business and tourism were vital to the economy and the new bond pilot program is a 'disincentive to travel from abroad.' 'We are concerned of the potential negative impact on international tourism at a time when we see declining numbers related to foreign travel,' said Lindblade. 'If the State Department's focus is only targeted to bad players then the impact will be smaller.' The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which covers the Sixth District of the Federal Reserve, including Florida, reported in July that group bookings from international travel to the U.S from Canada, Asia, and Europe continued to slow, but there was some growth in overall travel and tourism. In the filing this week, the Department of State said that after reviewing reports going back as far as 2000, when the Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management Improvement Act was introduced, the reports of entry and exits of nonimmigrant visa holders to the U.S. who overstayed their visas show that thousands of visitors failed to depart by their visa terms. The first Trump administration had tried to initiate a six-month visa-bond pilot program in November 2020. The program was to 'serve as a diplomatic tool to encourage foreign governments to take all appropriate actions to ensure their nationals timely depart the United States after making temporary visits.' It was to run from December 2020 through June 2021. The State Department scrapped the pilot program due to the reduction of global travel because of COVID-19. 'Data collected during the Pilot may also be used to determine the effectiveness of visa bonds at reducing overstays, evaluate concerns about insufficient identity verification, and the extent to which visa bonds may deter otherwise legitimate B-1 and B-2 visa applicants from traveling to the United States,' the State Department said. The bond program will run until August 2026, and the countries on the list will continually be updated over the year. Visitors with bonds will have to file for a refund within 30 days of their departure from the United States. Failure to do so results risks forfeiting the deposits.
%3Amax_bytes(150000)%3Astrip_icc()%2FTAL-passport-stamps-NOPASPRTSTMP0825-a983be6e8b1347c4b72c00961791e9b8.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Travel + Leisure
7 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
Passport Stamps Are Disappearing Across 29 Countries This Fall—Here's What Travelers Need to Know
There's nothing more exciting than examining a passport stamp after entering a new country, seeing the barely-dry ink on the page and creating a tangible memory you can hold in your hand. But that experience will soon go by the wayside as countries across the European Union switch to biometric and electronic border systems, forgoing the physical stamp. In Europe, 29 countries will soon replace passport stamps with a new Entry/Exist System (EES). The policy, which has been delayed for years, will now go into effect starting Oct. 12 and be introduced gradually with the full implementation expected to be complete by April 10, 2026. The electronic authorization is an "automated IT system for registering non-EU nationals travelling for a short stay, each time they cross the external borders of any of the following European countries using the system," according to the European Union. The policy, aimed at modernizing borders, will collect data listed in travelers' documents, the date and place of each entry and exit, a facial image, and fingerprints. Europe isn't alone in moving toward a digital border. In January, the United Kingdom implemented its own electronic travel authorization (ETA) fee, which is now required for most travelers arriving in the country, including from the United States. At the time, the long-anticipated fee was called a step toward "a modern immigration system." Even the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has started expanding its facial recognition technology at airports across the country and programs like Clear Plus, which uses fingerprint, eye, or facial scans to speed through security, are gaining in popularity. Other countries are moving away from stamps as well. Australia, for example, stopped issuing passport stamps as far back as 2012, according to the country's ABC News . Destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Argentina have similarly eliminated them. Even the U.S. has started to phase out the use of physical stamps, Harvard University noted. But while travelers may lament the loss of that tangible reminder of a trip, one thing they should never do is put a souvenir stamp in their official passports. That's because the document warns the holder that "only authorized officials of the United States or of foreign countries may place stamps or make notations or additions." This is the full list of countries where the EES will be implemented on a gradual basis: Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Czechia Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland
The Hill
10 hours ago
- The Hill
Family-friendly TSA lanes debut at several US airports: How do they work?
(KTLA) – Select airports across the country are adding special security lanes to help make travel easier for families. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced in July its new ' Families on the Fly ' program, which aims to 'put families first and enhance their airport security screening experience during the busy summer travel season and beyond,' according to the agency. When asked, a representative for the TSA told Nexstar that the family-friendly security lanes work basically the same as the regular lanes, while providing families 'with their own space where they can move through security at their own pace, without feeling rushed or as though they're inconveniencing other travelers.' As part of the program, the TSA is also offering a $15 discount on PreCheck enrollment when two adults sign up together. Kids under 12 are generally allowed the same benefits when traveling with an enrolled adult; kids under 17 may also be eligible if they meet certain conditions. There are also plans to implement dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes for service members and their families, per TSA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Dedicated family lanes are already operational at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida and Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) in North Carolina, the TSA says. But Nexstar's KTLA reported that John Wayne Airport, in Orange County, Calif., debuted its lane in July. KTLA's Carlos Herrera visited John Wayne Airport on Tuesday to speak with families testing out the new lane. 'It's been very nice. Very short line,' one parent at the Southern California airport, just moments before she reached the front of the queue. In addition to the Orlando, Charlotte-Douglas and John Wayne facilities, dedicated family lanes are planned for the following airports, according to the TSA: Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu (HNL) Charleston International Airport (CHS) Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (PVD) Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in Puerto Rico (SJU) Tampa International Airport (TPA) 'This program goes beyond convenience; it's about addressing the unique needs of traveling families to provide a smoother, more supportive experience at our security checkpoints,' Pete Garcia, the TSA federal security director for Orlando, was quoted as saying in a press release. 'We're dedicated to making travel smart, secure, and family friendly.'
