ATLANTA — Starting May 7, travelers flying out of U.S. airports will need to show the Transportation Security Administration their Real ID driver’s license, or another form of accepted ID, to go through security and catch their flight.
The Real ID deadline is less than a month away after being kicked down the road for years.
Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 as a way to set standards for identification in the United States.
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Now, the TSA says passengers who show up without a Real ID or an alternative “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.”
For those visiting a federal facility, you’ll also be required to have Real ID there.
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“Now is the time, May 7 of 2025 is the deadline that TSA is saying ‘look, if you want to board a domestic aircraft, your driver’s license, your ID, is going to have to be Real ID compliant,’” Aixa Diaz, at AAA the Auto Club Group, told Channel 2’s Fred Blankenship.
Diaz said driver services departments across the U.S. are slammed as stragglers rush to get their IDs.
If you’re having trouble squeezing in an appointment, you might still have a chance to get it done.
Driver services departments in some states are offering extended hours.
“You may have to just do the old fashioned thing, and every morning, just refresh your browser, and see if any appointments have opened up,” Diaz said. “You know, inevitably, like with doctors appointments, there will be cancellations.”
If you can’t get to a Department of Motor Vehicles or Department of Driver Services in time, AAA says they also offer Real ID appointments in some locations.
For travelers who still aren’t able to make an appointment for a Real ID set up, AAA said to check if you have another form of identification that’s compliant before you travel.
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