The U.S. Department of Homeland Security will require domestic flyers to have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or identification card beginning May 7.
A REAL ID driver’s license has a star in the top portion of the card, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s website. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to set stricter security standards for the issuance of IDs in light of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Texas began providing REAL ID driver’s licenses in 2016, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website.
“This (requirement) helps to validate or verify a traveler’s identity,” said Patricia Mancha, a Transportation Security Administration media spokesperson. “(It) is an added layer of security to the already many layers that happen when someone gets to the checkpoint, when they purchase their airline ticket, all those type of things.”
Aside from driver’s licenses, other acceptable forms of REAL ID that flyers can use before boarding domestic flights include U.S. passports or passport cards, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s website. Non-U.S. citizens can use a Permanent Resident Card, also known as a Green Card, or a foreign-governmented issued passport. Non-travelers that do not have a REAL ID driver’s license can continue using it for other tasks, such as driving, voting and banking, according to the DPS website.
If a flyer does not have a REAL ID by the time they reach the airport security checkpoint, Mancha said TSA will attempt to verify their identity. This process consists of flyers providing personal information, such as their name and current address, according to the Department of Homeland Security’s website.
“If you ever go to a checkpoint, (and) a traveler is bumping through their belongings to locate their ID, we ask them to step aside and continue the flow of traffic,” Mancha said. “This is pretty much going to be the same if someone has to have their identity validated or verified.”
A person can receive a REAL ID driver’s license in Texas at their local DPS office, according to the department’s website. Applicants will need proof of lawful presence in the country, such as a U.S. passport, Green Card or birth certificate.
Although TSA will try to verify the identities of those who do not have a REAL ID by the time they reach the airport security checkpoint, Mancha said there are potential risks to non-compliance.
“If there’s 100 travelers, you might be number 99 on that list,” Mancha said. “(The verification process) may not be completed in time for you to make your flight. Additionally, there’s no guarantee that we will be able to validate or verify your identity, and if that’s the case, then you will not be allowed to enter the checkpoint or go on to your flight.”
