Beginning on May 7, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will no longer accept state-issued identifications that are not REAL ID compliant at TSA security checkpoints. All airline passengers 18 years and older, including TSA PreCheck® members, must present REAL ID-compliant identification or another acceptable ID, such as a passport, at TSA security checkpoints.
Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant and who do not have another acceptable alternative (i.e., a passport) can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.
“We will enforce REAL ID in a manner that minimizes the impact to overall operations and especially for those passengers who are prepared with their REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of ID,” said John Busch, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The Virginia and District of Columbia REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards have a small star in the upper right corner to indicate they meet federal regulations that establish minimum security standards.
Currently, 81 percent of travelers at TSA checkpoints nationwide present an acceptable identification including a state-issued REAL ID. TSA expects the number of passengers obtaining REAL IDs to steadily increase even after the deadline of May 7. Compliance will continue with additional screening measures for those without a REAL ID until it is no longer considered a security vulnerability.
“Per longstanding TSA policy, passengers arriving at the airport without an acceptable form of ID may face significant wait times at airports and could be denied access through the security checkpoint,” said Eric Beane, Acting Federal Security Director for Washington Dulles International Airport.
If their driver’s license is not REAL ID-compliant, travelers will need another form of approved identification, such as a passport to board their flight or enter a secure federal facility or military base.
Virginia residents have the option to upgrade to a REAL ID if their license does not currently have the star or stick with an older standard driver’s license. Residents of the District of Columbia can get a REAL ID license or a limited purpose license, However, a non REAL ID license—without the star—will not be valid to board a domestic flight or to access secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices.
To get the REAL ID in Virginia, individuals will need to visit their local Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and bring certain documents to prove U.S. citizenship and Virginia residency. Details are posted on the Virginia’s Department of Motor Vehicles web site. To obtain a REAL ID in the District of Columbia, individuals should visit the DC Department of Motor Vehicles web site.
Required documents to obtain a REAL ID license include one proof of identity, proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens, two proofs of Virginia or DC residency, proof of social security number and a current driver’s license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state.
