Flying without a Real ID after today's deadline? Here's what to know at the airport
Can you get through TSA without a Real ID?
Can you get through TSA without a Real ID?
Can you get through TSA without a Real ID?
It's a nightmare for any traveler: getting to the airport and not having their ID. For many Americans, a version of that headache will become a reality starting today when the federal government begins enforcing requirements for Real ID, a national set of standards for state-issued identification documents such as driver's licenses.
Do I need a Real ID to fly?
The Transportation Security Administration said that starting Wednesday, it will no longer accept IDs that don't comply with Real ID requirements.
"TSA will implement REAL ID effectively and efficiently, continuing to ensure the safety and security of passengers while also working to minimize operational disruptions at airports," Adam Stahl, a TSA senior official who's performing the duties of the agency's administrator, said in a statement last month.
The agency said people who are in the U.S. illegally and are voluntarily self-deporting on international flights will still be allowed to board planes.
Is an enhanced license the same as a Real ID?
Five states — Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington — issue enhanced IDs, which can be used to cross the U.S. border in a vehicle. The TSA said enhanced IDs are an acceptable form of identification at airport checkpoints.
What if I'm flying without a Real ID?
According to the TSA, 81% of travelers provide an acceptable ID at security checkpoints. But a CBS News data analysis in April found that at least 17 states were less than 50% compliant with Real ID requirements, and 30 states were less than 70% compliant, setting the stage for potential disruptions at checkpoints across the country.
There is hope for people who don't have an updated driver's license, state ID card or enhanced ID. The TSA said other forms of identification can be shown at checkpoints. Here's a list of those other acceptable IDs:
U.S. passport or U.S. passport card
Cards from Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler programs such as Global Entry
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to military dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
Photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation or Native American tribe
Federal employee or contractor ID card
Passport issued by a foreign government
Canadian provincial driver's license or ID card issued to Indigenous people in Canada
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment authorization card
U.S. merchant mariner credential
Veteran health identification card
The TSA noted that the list is subject to change without notice. The agency also said temporary driver's licenses aren't an acceptable form of ID.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday told lawmakers what will happen when passengers present their ID to a TSA officer.
"If it's not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly," Noem told a House Appropriations subcommittee. "We will make sure that it is as seamless as possible and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary, but we are telling people that this law will be enforced."
People line up to enter Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in Los Angeles International Airport in California on Jan. 6, 2025.
Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images
The TSA said people without an acceptable ID may have to have their identity verified by providing information such as their name and current address. Passengers with confirmed identities may then be subjected to additional screening. People without confirmed identities won't be allowed to go through security.
Last month, a source familiar with the procedure told CBS News senior transportation correspondent Kris Van Cleave that the identity verification process is similar to what happens when people have their ID stolen on vacation. People who intend to have their identity verified at the airport should plan to arrive at least three hours before a domestic flight instead of the recommended two hours, according to the source.
The goal will be to move people with noncompliant IDs to a separate area quickly so security lines don't get backed up, the source told Van Cleave.
How can I tell if I have a Real ID?
A Real ID card has a star marking at the upper-right part of the card, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Department of Homeland Security
Do children need a Real ID to fly?
The TSA doesn't require children under 18 to have an ID when traveling within the U.S. The agency urges passengers to check if their airline requires IDs for children.
contributed to this report.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Fewer Americans are visiting Canada. Ad campaigns assure them they're welcome here
Late last year, Dan Davis of Cleveland, Ohio, began planning a motorcycle trip with friends this summer that includes several days in Ontario. But those plans became a little uncertain after U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January and imposed tariffs on Canada, sparking a trade war. That, coupled with Trump's frequent threats to make Canada the 51st state, has sparked anger among many Canadians. Davis noted that, in February, Canadians booed the U.S. national anthem at several NHL hockey games, and in March, the Canadian government ran a billboard campaign in a dozen U.S. states, including Ohio, declaring that Trump's "tariffs are a tax." "Those things just made us wonder, 'Wow, are we going to be welcome in Canada?' " said Davis, adding that the licence plates on the group's motorcycles reveal they're from Ohio — a state Trump won in the 2024 election. "On a motorcycle, you're a little more vulnerable," he said. "All it takes is one person to say, 'You know what, I'm going to show these guys a lesson,' whether it's vandalizing a bike or … throwing a beer can at you." Fewer U.S. tourists visiting Canada Since Trump took office and Canada-U.S. relations have become strained, fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S., and fewer Americans are coming to Canada. The number of trips Americans took to Canada by car declined 10.7 per cent in April and 8.4 per cent in May compared to the same time last year. Air travel declined 5.5 per cent in April and 0.3 per cent in May. Some tourism associations worry a number of Americans may be staying away because they fear a chilly reception, so they've launched ad campaigns which assure their neighbours they'll be warmly welcomed. It's a worthy cause considering what's at stake: The majority of Canada's tourists come from the U.S., and they spent $15.3 billion in the country last year. "It was really important for us to send the message to these visitors … that they are truly welcome, not to be scared to visit us," said Isabelle Charlebois, general director of Tourism Eastern Townships, a region in southeastern Quebec near the U.S. border. The group launched a TV ad in late May, running in New England and New York state. Set in the Eastern Townships, it shows a U.S. tourist whispering sheepishly to a hotel clerk that he's American. The clerk smiles knowingly, and gives the American a big, warm hug. "Come hug it out in the Eastern Townships," says the tagline. WATCH | Quebec tourism group offers to 'hug it out': Charlebois says the ad campaign was partly inspired by the fact that local tourism operators were fielding numerous calls from concerned Americans. "They were calling … asking if they should postpone their trip, or if they will be welcome in Quebec," she said. "This relationship we have with our neighbour is really important for us. That's why we sent this message, and I hope it works." 'Perception is reality' In May, out of the 200 businesses surveyed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, 32 per cent reported lower summer bookings by Americans compared to the same time last year. John Kinney, owner of Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, says, so far this season, his location just outside Niagara Falls has seen 15 per cent fewer American customers compared to this time last year. "Unfortunately, perception is reality," said Kinney. "If it's perceived that there's political woes, people say, 'I hear Myrtle Beach is nice.' They just go to a completely different area." To encourage Americans to heard north, Niagara Falls Tourism has launched a page on its website just for them. Along with listing attractions, it declares, "To our friends in the U.S.A. — we can't wait to welcome you!" Back in Cleveland, Davis spotted a billboard last week on the highway and says he took it as a sign he's welcome in Canada. This time, instead of denouncing Trump's tariffs, the billboard invited Americans to visit Ontario and take advantage of the low Canadian dollar. Destination Ontario, the province's tourism organization, launched the campaign in several U.S. states last month. "It's good to see that they are encouraging visitors," said Davis, who is now looking forward to his Ontario trip. "We all just need to come together as human beings on both sides of the border and embrace each other." B.C. bear tour operators beckon Americans Over on the West Coast, British Columbia businesses that specialize in bear viewing are also rolling out the welcome mat. More than a dozen took part in a video, posted on YouTube on May 30, which promises Americans "open arms" and "warm hospitality." B.C.'s Commercial Bear Viewing Association, which put together the ad, says it will soon be launched as part of a social media campaign in select U.S. markets. WATCH | B.C. businesses welcome U.S. tourists: Marg Leehane, general manager of Great Bear Lodge in Campbell River, B.C., shouted out, "You're always welcome," in the video. It's a message she hopes will resonate, as American bookings at her lodge are down by 28 per cent so far compared to this time last year. "Americans always make up a good percentage of our visitors, and we're disappointed to not have them coming," she said. "I think they're worried the political message will get reflected on them. But of course, that's not how most Canadians feel." Leehane says she's getting more Canadian bookings this year than usual, which helps offset the decline in American customers. Still, she worries that decline could have lasting repercussions. "We don't want to lose that pipeline of American visitors," she said. "They would have come back as repeat guests. So it's not just this year that we would lose out on those visitors, it's the future years." Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Major airlines may have been secretly selling your flight data to DHS, report claims
Americans' flight data may have been sold to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) without their knowledge, internal CBP documents obtained by 404 Media suggest. A data broker, the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), owned by several of the top airlines in the U.S., including Delta, American Airlines, and United, reportedly gathered the flight records of U.S. travelers and sold access to CBP. Part of the contract was that CBP wasn't allowed to share where the data had originated from, the report says. The data included passengers' names, itineraries, and financial information, according to Wired. CBP is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The agency has stated that it requires the data to support state and local law enforcement in tracking individuals of interest. This comes after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outlined how it also bought the data. 'The big airlines—through a shady data broker that they own called ARC—are selling the government bulk access to Americans' sensitive information, revealing where they fly and the credit card they used,' Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said in a statement. "ARC has refused to answer oversight questions from Congress, so I have already contacted the major airlines that own ARC—like Delta, American Airlines, and United—to find out why they gave the green light to sell their customers' data to the government." Publicly shared documents show that ARC is owned and operated by at least eight top U.S. airlines. Delta, Southwest, United, American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, as well as European airlines Lufthansa and Air France, in addition to Air Canada, all have representatives on the company's board of directors. Over 240 airlines use ARC's services for ticket settlement. The company also connects airlines and travel agencies, locating travel trends with other companies such as Expedia. It also provides fraud prevention, the ARC YouTube channel and website show. The selling of travel information is conducted via the company's Travel Intelligence Program (TIP). The documents obtained by 404 Media via a Freedom of Information Act request state that CBP needed access to the information 'to support federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify persons of interest's US domestic air travel ticketing information.' The documents reveal that ARC asked CBP to 'not publicly identify vendor, or its employees, individually or collectively, as the source of the Reports unless the Customer is compelled to do so by a valid court order or subpoena and gives ARC immediate notice of same.' The data delivers 'visibility on a subject's or person of interest's domestic air travel ticketing information as well as tickets acquired through travel agencies in the U.S. and its territories,' the documents state. According to a DHS Privacy Impact Assessment, the data is updated daily and includes more than a billion records over the course of 39 months of travel, both past and future. TIP can be searched using names, credit cards, or airlines. However, the data only includes travel arrangements made using a travel agency accredited by ARC, such as Expedia. 'If the passenger buys a ticket directly from the airline, then the search done by ICE will not show up in an ARC report,' the assessment states. It also says that data is included on both U.S. and non-U.S. persons. The deputy director of the Center for Democracy & Technology's Security and Surveillance Project, Jake Laperruque, told 404 Media that 'While obtaining domestic airline data—like many other transaction and purchase records—generally doesn't require a warrant, they're still supposed to go through a legal process that ensures independent oversight and limits data collection to records that will support an investigation.' 'The government seems intent on using data brokers to buy their way around important guardrails and limits,' he added. A spokesperson for CBP told Wired that the agency 'is committed to protecting individuals' privacy during the execution of its mission to protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation's economic prosperity.' 'CBP follows a robust privacy policy as we protect the homeland through the air, land and maritime environments against illegal entry, illicit activity or other threats to national sovereignty and economic security,' the spokesperson added. ARC earlier told The Lever that TIP 'was established after the September 11 terrorist attacks to provide certain data to law enforcement … for the purpose of national security matters' and criminal probes. The Independent has contacted ARC and CBP for comment.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
TSA Issues Helpful Reminder Before Father's Day
While it may not be as busy as Memorial Day weekend last month, which set records with its air travel, Father's Day weekend is expected to bring quite a few people through airports as they travel to visit their fathers. In the days leading up to the weekend, the TSA has a reminder for everyone. In a post on social media this week, the TSA issued a warning for all passengers, reminding everyone that while empty water bottles are permitted through airport security, a full bottle will not be allowed. "Jetting off to see Dad? Don't bottle up your travel smarts. A full water bottle is a no-go, but an empty one (or one filled with solid ice) pours right through security. Refill post-checkpoint and keep the pop in your step this Father's Day!" the TSA wrote in a social media post this week. It might surprise some that the TSA actually allows ice to be taken through airport security, but frozen liquids of any kind are actually permitted to be taken through the security checkpoint and do not have to comply with the 3-1-1 rule for liquids. "Frozen liquid items are allowed through the checkpoint as long as they are frozen solid when presented for screening. If frozen liquid items are partially melted, slushy, or have any liquid at the bottom of the container, they must meet 3-1-1 liquids requirements," the TSA's website reads. The 3-1-1 rule mentioned refers to the 3.4 ounce maximum liquid allowance per item, which must be in 1 clear quart-sized zip-lock bag, with passengers only allowed one of those bags per person. The rationale for allowing frozen liquid is rather simple: it's very difficult to freeze corrosive or dangerous liquids that the TSA is screening for, so anything that is completely frozen is assumed to be safe. So if you want to bring a water bottle on board, just make sure that anything inside of it is frozen solid. TSA Issues Helpful Reminder Before Father's Day first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 11, 2025
