Passengers without a real ID card should arrive at the airport 3 hours in advance
The day is coming soon. Starting May 7, anyone will travel on domestic flights within the United States to show a true form of ID-compliant proof of identity. For most people, this will be a driver’s license, a little star around the corner. If you don’t have one of them, then a U.S. passport will do it. However, if you don’t recognize anything that meets a real ID card, the agency recommends passengers arrive three hours before the flight for additional ID verification.
TSA spokesman Daniel D. Velez told Gizmodo via email.
There are many other forms of ID cards, including permanent resident cards, off-road cards or physical global entrance cards. But for most people, a driver’s license will be the most common form. Anyone without a real ID should get one of them right away. If you don’t have one, bring a non-qualified ID including photos and make sure you arrive very early.
Velez told Gizmodo: “If they don’t have any acceptable IDs, we strongly recommend that they arrive at the airport 3 hours before departure time.”
However, even if you arrive early, there is no guarantee that you can board the plane. So it’s much easier if you only have a real ID that you can hand it over to security.
Which IDs are acceptable? TSA lists them on its website:
- State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
- US Passport
- US Passport Card
- DHS Trusted Traveler Card (Global Entry, Nexus, Sentri, Fast)
- US Department of Defense ID, including ID sent to family members
- Permanent Resident Card
- Transit card
- Acceptable photo IDs posted by federally recognized tribal countries/Indian tribes, including enhanced tribal cards (ETC).
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Passports issued by foreign governments
- Canadian Provincial Driver’s License or Indian and Northern Affairs Canadian Card
- Transport worker ID certificate
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- American businessman sailor qualifications
- Senior Health ID Card (VHIC)
How do I know my driver’s license is a real ID? If you look at the upper right corner, there should be a star. For the California license shown in the picture below, that star is inside the Golden Bear. But most states have a boring old star.
The driver’s license is issued by the state, but the actual technical standards for ID across the country are the same, which is the whole idea why the Real ID Act was passed in 2005. It’s been 20 years, it’s 20 years, and the deadline for airline passenger compliance has been delayed time and time again. But there will be no last-minute probation this time. This actually scares many conspiracy theorists who support President Donald Trump. People like Alex Jones think Trump was tricked into accepting a real ID card and insisted it was all the evil works of the Chinese, Bill Gates and George Soros.
But the actual ID requirements are here, if you don’t have one yet, please keep using DMV. Ironically, the type of documentation you need to get an actual ID may vary by state, but things like birth certificates, social insurance cards, and rental agreements are very standard fares. Don’t postpone it any more. Because this time they were very serious. Without a real ID, you will add a lot of time to your journey to the airport.
