Real ID: What to expect at TSA checkpoints this week as May 7 deadline looms
- TSA: Passengers with an approved Real ID should see little travel impact.
- A passport, passport card or Global Entry card (among other documents) will suffice for others.
- Travelers without an approved ID should expect longer wait times.
It could be an interesting week at U.S. airport security checkpoints, as a rule that has been 20 years in the making takes effect.
Starting Wednesday, May 7, the Transportation Security Administration will begin enforcing its long-delayed Real ID policy.
To get through TSA checkpoints, travelers will need to have an approved driver's license — one that has a star, or another marking that shows it meets the TSA's new standard. Or, they'll need a suitable substitute like a passport or Global Entry card.
Related: What will happen after May 7 if you don't have a Real ID?
Those who don't have one will likely still be allowed to fly, but they may face extra screening measures; this includes travelers who typically enjoy expedited TSA PreCheck privileges.
"Most passengers — the ones that are ready — shouldn't see much of a difference," Mark Howell, TSA spokesperson for the Southeast U.S. region, told TPG in an interview. "It's really the people that don't have their Real IDs or the other acceptable forms that are going to see some delays at the checkpoints."
Still, the policy change has some travel experts fearing added wait times at checkpoints. The change has also fueled plenty of confusion over what type of ID would — and wouldn't — be accepted in place of an approved state driver's license.
And with just over 24 hours to go until the new identification standard (which was first ordered by Congress in 2005) takes effect, airports are busy preparing.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey — the governing body for the New York City region's three biggest airports — expects the biggest delays on Wednesday and Thursday, immediately after Real ID rules take effect.
"Additional airport staff will be available to assist customers at terminals, but travelers should allow for extra time, especially during the first two days," the authority said in a post. The Port Authority operates LaGuardia Airport (LGA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR).
TSA: No change for passengers with a Real ID
Passengers who already have an approved Real ID — some 81% of travelers, according to TSA estimates — should see little impact once the enforcement period takes effect this week, Howell said.
States have been issuing driver's licenses that meet the more stringent security standards for years.
The most common way to tell if your license is compliant: Check if there's a star at the top, like on the below ID that North Carolina issued me in 2021.
Other states use a few other symbols or words to signify a Real ID, which TPG explains here.
Those passengers should expect business as usual, the agency maintained.
Passengers were counting on that.
"We are prepared with our Real IDs and plan on getting to the airport two hours before travel time as usual," Debi Watts Norwood wrote in the TPG Lounge on Facebook.
Don't have a Real ID? A passport is enough, otherwise
Not surprisingly, most confusion seems to come from travelers who don't yet have an approved Real ID — close to one-fifth of the traveling public.
While you may have heard of bringing a utility bill or birth certificate to the airport, it's likely much simpler than that.
A passport will get you through a security checkpoint just as a driver's license (or passport, for that matter) would today. You won't need any sort of additional form of identification.
"You don't need a secondary," Howell said. "It's essentially the same as when you travel internationally. You're just using that as your identification for domestic travel.
Passports aren't the only document you can use in place of a Real ID.
The TSA will accept a passport card, a Global Entry card, a permanent resident card or a slew of other forms of identification listed here.
"I always use my passport when I fly, even within the U.S., so I won't be doing anything differently," TPG reader Cindy Lyon said.
What if you don't bring an acceptable form of ID?
The biggest hang-ups will occur for travelers who don't come to the airport with a Real ID or an approved alternative.
They'll likely still be allowed to fly, but they could face delays due to extra identity verification and, perhaps, additional screening measures.
That could be time-consuming, and it could mean a passenger normally authorized to use the TSA PreCheck lanes could face standard-level screening protocols. This may include taking off their shoes and removing large electronics from their bag.
"You may want to get there about three hours early and prepare for some delays and some additional screening," Howell advised those travelers.
What about paper IDs?
One other possible wrinkle could occur for travelers who are currently carrying a temporary paper license after recently rushing to get a Real ID. This situation has played out across the country, with long lines at DMVs in many states.
Passengers with a temporary paper license should bring that and their older permanent ID, Howell said.
If the DMV issued you a paper ID and didn't give you your old license back, bring a passport or one of the alternative approved documents.
An eye on the wait times
One of the biggest lingering questions for travelers with or without an approved Real ID: Starting Wednesday, how long will the waits at TSA checkpoints be?
The TSA said it expects wait times to be largely unchanged for those with an approved ID, whether it's a new Real ID-compliant driver's license or an alternative like a passport.
"It's really the people that don't have their Real IDs or the other acceptable forms that are going to see some delays at the checkpoints," Howell said. "Because they're going to have some additional screening, and we'll have to do the verification of their identity."
The TSA typically aims for wait times of no more than 30 minutes for passengers in its standard lanes, or 10 minutes in the expedited PreCheck lanes.
Remember: You can always monitor live TSA checkpoint wait times using the agency's MyTSA app.
Still, some carriers — including Delta Air Lines — are preparing for the possibility that delays could, in some cases, lead to passengers missing flights.
"As we do today, Delta people will work on a case-by-case basis to rebook customers who miss flights due to extenuating circumstances once at the airport," an airline spokesperson told TPG, while urging passengers to get to the airport early and with valid documentation.
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- 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
- 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without
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