A recent USA Today article was a good reminder that travelers from four U.S. states and one territory soon may be stopped at airport security.
Starting next year (the exact date has not been announced), travelers carrying a driver’s license from Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York or American Samoa will need to carry a second, U.S. government-approved form of ID. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration’s website offers a full list of acceptable IDs, among them U.S. passports, trusted traveler cards and U.S. military identification cards.
Here’s some background. The REAL ID Act of 2005 requires states and U.S. territories to beef up security for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs. One big component of the law: Residents applying for state IDs must provide original documents to verify identity, citizenship or lawful status in the U.S. Most states and territories complied over the past decade, but those listed above still haven’t met the REAL ID standard.
Even when the REAL ID requirement kicks in for travelers, those from non-compliant states won’t immediately be blocked from boarding planes. During a three-month forgiveness period, travelers with non-compliant driver’s licenses will be warned that their IDs are no longer valid for flights and encouraged to bring an acceptable form of ID with them the next time they fly.
Want to know more? Check out the Transportation Security Administration’s FAQs about the REAL ID program, and see TSA’s enforcement schedule and list of compliant states.
