Travelers at Miami airport now dealing with new REAL ID requirement
Travel Travelers at Miami airport now dealing with new REAL ID requirement
Passengers go through a checkpoint at Miami International Airport as the Transportation Security Administration started enforcing REAL ID for travel on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.
pportal@miamiherald.com
On the first day of a new travel ID requirement, security checkpoints at Miami International Airport seemed to be business as usual for passengers.
Derril Young even had enough time on Wednesday afternoon to sit at a restaurant in Concourse D and drink a Corona as he wrapped up a vacation with his family in the Magic City.
He already obtained his REAL ID so getting through TSA security and lines 'was quick and easy,' he said. The 44-year-old traveler, who works for the U.S. Postal Service, said that his 'no lines' experience at the airport was smooth and 'no different than before.'
But to be extra-prepared, he also brought his passport even though his travels were within the U.S. Visiting from New York, he was waiting for his flight back home.
His father, 61-year-old Teryl Dixon, didn't yet have a REAL ID but also had enough time to sit with his son and enjoy a beer because he brought his passport, which could be used instead of the new ID to board a plane for domestic travel.
Without either, TSA said travelers would have to undergo extra security beginning May 7.
'I was worried lines would be long, but they weren't,' he said.
Passengers Derril Young, left, and Teryl Dixon sit at a bar after going through their checkpoint at Miami International Airport on the first day of REAL ID requirements on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
MIA was expecting more than 141,000 passengers on Wednesday, said Greg Chin, communications director for Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Over the past 30 days, the airport has averaged 1% higher traffic than this year at the same time, he said.
Still, the departure areas both pre-and post-security had plenty of space on Day One of Real ID.
Sam Funderburk was seated at an airport restaurant with a work colleague before catching a flight back to Tallahassee. The 56-year-old traveler, who works in fertilizer sales, had come to South Florida for a work trip. Both had time to grab a bite before heading back.
Funderburk said he has had a REAL ID for several years. Traveling on Wednesday 'was smooth,' he said.
'I didn't see any problems,' as he checked in and cleared security.
What the Miami airport looked like on Day 1 of REAL ID
TSA agents verify passengers' identities at a checkpoint at Miami International Airport on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
Passengers go through a checkpoint as information about REAL ID plays on a screen at Miami International Airport on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
The lines at MIA on the first day of REAL ID on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
TSA agents check in passengers on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
TSA agents verify identities at Miami International Airport on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
A checkpoint at the Miami airport Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Pedro Portal
pportal@miamiherald.com
What to know about REAL ID
Without a REAL ID after the May 7 deadline, you can use a passport to get through TSA.
But if you go to the airport without a Real ID, passport or another acceptable piece of identification after the deadline, the Department of Homeland Security warns you 'can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.'
The Transportation Security Administration states that fliers without acceptable identification will need to undergo additional security procedures before being allowed to board your flight.
These ID requirements apply to everyone age 18 or older, including people with TSA PreCheck. People whose identity cannot be confirmed or who refuse to complete the additional screening will not be able to pass through airport security, according to the TSA.
A REAL ID driver's license or state identification card can be easily identified by a star inside a circle in the upper right corner of the card. If your license has the star, it meets REAL ID standards. If not, you should apply for it as soon as possible at a driver's license office.
Florida says REAL ID 'is a national effort to improve the integrity and security of state-issued driver licenses and identification cards, which in turn will help fight terrorism and reduce identity fraud.'
VS Vinod Sreeharsha
Miami Herald Email this person
Vinod Sreeharsha covers tourism trends in South Florida for the Miami Herald.
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