By Debra Kamin
Section: Travel
Source: New York Times
Published Date: November 2, 2022 at 02:00AM
For years, the government has warned travelers they will need a security-enhanced Real ID to board domestic flights, and for years the requirement has been delayed. Now they mean it.
It’s a change nearly 20 years in the making: a post-Sept. 11 law requiring that U.S. travelers carry more than a standard driver’s license to board a domestic flight. Now, after years of delays, it is finally kicking into gear.
Beginning May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers flying within the United States will need to show Transportation Security Administration agents either a security-enhanced driver’s license that’s Real ID-compliant or another T.S.A.-approved form of identification like a passport. A state driver’s license that does not contain the Real ID seal will no longer be accepted.
What is Real ID, anyway?
Real ID is a driver’s license or identification card that bears a special seal, which signifies that the bearer of the card has been screened and approved according to a standard set by the federal government, rather than just by the state issuing the license.
Why is this change taking place?
In the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government realized that nearly all of the hijackers who boarded commercial planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Penn., were carrying U.S. driver’s licenses and state IDs, and most of those documents had been obtained fraudulently.
In the years that followed, the federal government began an effort to tighten national standards for state-issued documentation, and in 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act. The act sets minimum standards for driver’s licenses and other types of identification cards. Once the law kicks into gear, any traveler who wishes to use a driver’s license or state-issued ID at a T.S.A. checkpoint must make sure that it is Real ID-compliant.
“The findings of the 9/11 Commission clearly identified gaps in security management of state-level procured identity cards and driver’s licenses,” said Frank Harrison, the North America regional security director for World Travel Protection, a risk management company. “The Real ID Act provides a national framework of screening and approval to ensure consistency and integrity of programs. In other words, each state will maintain authority over their ID issuances, but they collectively will adhere to one standard of practice.”
The Real ID Act was initially set to be enforced in 2008 and has been delayed a number of times.
“It’s remarkable how long it has taken for this to come into effect,” said Scott Keyes, the founder of the travel platform Scott’s Cheap Flights. “It’s been decades in the making.”
How do I know if my license is a Real ID?
The easiest way to tell is just to look at it. Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses have a star, usually in gold or black. The stars look slightly different on each state’s licenses — in California, it sits on top of an image of a bear, which is the state animal — but it’s always located in the top right corner.
A license that is not Real-ID compliant will not have a star in the corner, and some will also have the words “federal limits apply.”
Can I get a Real ID regardless of where I live?
Real ID-compliant licenses and identification cards are now being issued in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and the majority of U.S. territories. American Samoa is not yet issuing them.
What do I need to get a Real ID?
Each state has a different process for applying for a Real ID, so applicants should check requirements online. New Yorkers can visit a special Department of Motor Vehicles page detailing the process; many other states, including California and Texas, offer similar sites either through their D.M.V. or government portals. In most instances, you can get a Real ID by visiting your local D.M.V., either as part of a standard license renewal or by filling out a special application.
But no matter where you live, to apply for a Real ID or change your license over, you’ll need to provide a Social Security number, prove your address through documents like a utility bill or bank statement, and verify your identity through a handful of additional documents like a birth certificate or passport.
In many instances, there is no additional cost to receive a Real ID if you’re already renewing your license, although some states charge extra — in Pennsylvania, for example, it’s an additional $30 on top of the renewal fee.
Read the Complete article at: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/02/travel/domestic-flights-real-id-passport.html
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