7th December 2017
Written on 7th December 2017
United States - REAL ID and Air Travel
Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, like TSA, from accepting licenses and identification cards for official purposes from states that do not meet these standards. Enforcement Dates Beginning January 22nd, 2018, driver’s licenses or state IDs issued by states that are not in compliance with the REAL ID Act and have not been granted an extension by DHS may not be used to fly within the U.S. Beginning October 1st, 2020, every traveler will need a REAL ID-compliant license or state ID or another acceptable form of identification to fly within the U.S. When Flying… If your state is compliant:- You may continue to use your state-issued driver’s license or ID to fly in the U.S. until October 1st, 2020.
- Beginning October 1st, 2020, you may only use a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or ID or another acceptable form of identification for domestic air travel.
- Beginning January 22nd, 2018, you may continue to use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel only if your state has been granted an extension to the compliance deadline by DHS. If your state has not been granted an extension by DHS you may not use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel.
- Beginning October 1st, 2020, you may not use your state-issued driver’s license or ID for domestic air travel.
- Check your state’s status: You can check if your state is REAL ID compliant at dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief. Beginning January 22nd, 2018, travelers from non-compliant states will not be able to use their driver’s licenses or state IDs at TSA checkpoints, unless the state received an extension to comply.
