Air Travelers Now Compelled To Present Real IDs To Board Planes

As of today, U.S. air travelers must have Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, state-issued identification, or an alternative such as a passport to board federally regulated commercial aircraft.

The TSA said that 81% of travelers already present Real ID-compliant identification.

Those without Real IDs can expect delays, additional screening, or may be denied entry at security checkpoints, Callum Keown and Janet H. Cho reported for Barron’s Daily.

Requiring Real IDs is intended to increase safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thereby thwarting criminals and terrorists, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Travelers may have to undergo an identity verification process or face further screening.

“You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if you choose not to provide acceptable identification, decline to cooperate with the identity verification process, or if your identity cannot be confirmed,” the TSA stated.

“We have other ways to verify your identity if you don’t have a Real ID,” the TSA’s Reddit account noted, “but this process could take a considerable amount of time.”

The TSA said that 81% of travelers already present Real ID-compliant identification.

Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 following recommendations from the 9/11 Commission that the federal government set standards for identification. Travelers under 18 do not need a Real ID-compliant form of identification if traveling with an adult.