REAL ID questions answered: What is it, and why did it take so long?
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Real ID explained: what it is, why it matters, and how to get yours
Real ID requirements: everything you need to know about getting compliant for travel and ID.
Starting May 7, a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or alternative acceptable identification is required for air travel and access to most federal facilities.
REAL ID enhances security by requiring stricter documentation for identity verification when issuing state IDs.
Implementation of REAL ID was delayed due to various factors, including slow adoption by states and the COVID-19 pandemic.
It's REAL ID day! Starting today (May 7), you'll need a REAL ID to get on an airplane, or to present for access at most federal facilities.
But you're not totally out of luck if you don't have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license and are hoping to travel. There are alternative documents like your passport and other federally issued ID cards, like the one you receive when you enroll for Global Entry, that will do the job just as well.
If you don't have any of those eligible documents, the Transportation Security Administration may subject you to additional screening or identity checks, but you won't necessarily automatically get turned away from your flight.
That said, it will be easier to travel if you have a REAL ID, and the alternative compliance options are only temporary, so you're better off getting a document that will work if you don't already have one.
As we enter this new era, here's what you need to know.
What is REAL ID?
I bet you've read a sentence like this many times if you've been keeping track of this rollout:
REAL ID is a state-issued identification document that complies with 'minimum security standards' established by Congress under the REAL ID Act, which was signed into law in 2005 in as part of Washington's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
You can tell if your state-issued ID is compliant because it will have a gold or black star, or a gold or black circle with a star cutout typically in the upper right-hand corner (see photo below). A few states use the shape of the state, and California uses a bear shape, all with a star cutout, as their designator. Check with your state for enhanced driver's license designators, which are also REAL ID compliant.
So, basically, REAL ID is a set of rules for states on what kind of documentation they're required to check before issuing identification documents of their own.
How is REAL ID more secure?
The main thrust of the REAL ID requirements is that they will make state-issued identification documents more secure and standardized.
'To obtain a state-issued REAL ID, individuals must provide documentation showing their full legal name, date of birth, social security number, two proofs of address for their principal residence and proof of their lawful status,' a TSA spokesperson told me in a statement.
Before the REAL ID Act went into effect, states had more leeway and were not under such stringent requirements to actually verify a person's identity before issuing identification documents.
The law is meant to ensure that ID applicants are able to prove their identity and their lawful right of residency before obtaining a state-issued ID.
Some states, including my home state of New York, may continue issuing non-REAL ID-compliant documents for residents who are unable to provide the proper documentation to receive a REAL ID. But while those non-compliant IDs can still be used for other purposes like driving, they will not be accepted at airports or other federal facilities going forward.
Why did REAL ID take so long?
'But wait,' you're saying, 'the REAL ID Act was signed into law 20 years go. Why are we just making a big deal about this now?'
Great question. The short answer is: many states were slow to implement their Real ID programs for a variety of reasons, and then COVID hit, which interrupted things even further.
The initial deadline for compliance was May 11, 2008 (wishful thinking), and by March 2017, half the states were still out of compliance with their ID-issuing processes.
The Department of Homeland Security warned that repeated delays mean people may not be taking this 2025 deadline seriously, but I'm here to tell you this time, it's actually happening.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter and writes the Cruising Altitude column for USA TODAY. He is based in New York and you can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com.
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