With so much confusion out there, I picked up the phone to chat with one of my sources at the Transportation Security Administration.
Here are a few key things he told me:
If you already have an approved Real ID, you are all set. Everything should be completely normal for you. Just bring it to the airport. Here’s more on how to know if your ID is a Real ID (hint: look for the star at the top, in most states).
If you don’t have a Real ID, just bring your passport or Global Entry card and you’ll be totally fine, he said. Or, bring one of the other acceptable forms of ID listed on the TSA website.
If you don’t have any of the above IDs with you, you’ll have to go through some extra verification — and possible extra screening (such as taking off your shoes even if you’re a TSA PreCheck member). You should still get through, but it’ll likely be slower.
Now, that may all sound simple(ish). But it’s still a huge change at our airports, which handle millions of travelers daily … so we’ll be watching to see how it goes. And it probably wouldn’t hurt to budget extra time to get through security checkpoints this week.
In the meantime, a few other resources to help make your next trip as seamless as possible:
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