HONOLULU – Federal, state and county officials today reminded Hawaii residents that starting Oct. 1, 2020, travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant form of identification to board a commercial flight.
To determine if a Hawaii driver license is REAL ID-compliant, look for a small star inside a gold circle adjacent to the outline of the Hawaiian islands in the upper right-hand corner. The presence of the icon will indicate that the driver license is REAL ID-compliant.
Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005. It enacted a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that established minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and identification cards. The Act further prohibited federal agencies, including the TSA, from accepting state-issued driver licenses or identification cards that do not meet the minimum standards.
“Because the majority of people who travel on a commercial aircraft use a driver license as their form of identification at the TSA security checkpoint, now is the time to plan ahead to ensure compliance with REAL ID requirements,” said TSA Federal Security Director for the Pacific Jenel Cline. “Starting Oct. 1, 2020, TSA officers will be prohibited from accepting identification from a traveler that does not meet the REAL ID standards.”
REAL ID is intended to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards while inhibiting the ability of terrorists and others to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.
Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, all travelers will need a REAL ID-compliant form of identification to board a commercial flight or gain access to secure federal facilities, including military bases, nuclear facilities and some federal offices. Now is the time for residents to plan ahead to ensure compliance with REAL ID requirements.
In Hawaii, if required documents proving legal presence, legal name, date of birth, social security number and current Hawaii principal residence are already on file, residents may be able to apply online for a duplicate license with the “star in a gold circle.”
If the proof of legal presence, legal name, date of birth, social security number and Hawaii principal residence documents are not already on file, or your legal name or address have changed, the request for the “star in gold circle” ID must be submitted in person.
Below are links to individual jurisdictions in Hawaii that issue driver licenses and specific REAL ID information:
TSA maintains a full list of acceptable forms of REAL ID-compliant identification beyond a driver license at https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification. Some examples are a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card; Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler card; active duty military ID including IDs issued to dependents; and the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
Signs are currently posted at airports nationwide reminding the public that REAL ID-compliant licenses or other acceptable forms of identification will be mandatory for air travel beginning on October 1, 2020. More information and Frequently Asked Questions on REAL ID can be found at https://www.tsa.gov/real-id.