07-05-2025
‘Plan extra time at the airport' without Real ID, says airport official
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A sample of a Montana driver's license.
Get to the airport early if you're hopping on a domestic flight and don't have a REAL ID card — or another acceptable form of identification, for example, a U.S. passport.
That's the advice from Brian Sprenger, president and CEO of the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
Wednesday, the Transportation Security Administration will start enforcing a requirement that traveler identification, such as driver's licenses, comply with federal security standards from the REAL ID Act.
In an email, a TSA spokesperson was more optimistic about the transition.
The spokesperson said 81% of passengers already use their REAL ID or other acceptable forms of ID, 'so we do not expect there to be any inconveniences or wait times at all.'
The TSA website lists other acceptable forms of ID, including passports, Veteran Health Identification Cards, and a photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation, including Enhanced Tribal Cards.
The TSA spokesperson said security officers will enforce REAL ID to ensure 'no impact to wait times or TSA screening,' especially for passengers prepared with a REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of ID.
'Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening,' the spokesperson said.
A REAL ID looks like a driver's license but has a gold star in the righthand corner, according to the Montana Department of Justice's Motor Vehicle Division. It offers guidelines for acquiring such identification.
Summer is a busy season for Montana travelers.
In Bozeman, Sprenger said TSA has indicated it has processes in place for passengers who don't have REAL ID, and it will handle travelers 'expeditiously.'
'But it will take additional time, so we're recommending anybody that does not have REAL ID, that they plan extra time at the airport, especially at this point,' Sprenger said.
He said whether delays take place remains to be seen.
'We'll know a whole lot better after tomorrow,' Sprenger said Tuesday.
