TSA to Notify Travelers of Upcoming 2018 Real ID Airport Enforcement - Signs at Airports to Inform Travelers of ID Requirements at Security Checkpoints

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have started posting signs at airports notifying travelers that beginning January 2018 it will start enforcing REAL ID requirements at airport security checkpoints, meaning that travelers seeking to use their state-issued driver’s license or identification card for boarding commercial aircraft may only use such documents if they are issued by a REAL ID compliant state or a non-compliant state with an extension.

TSA’s notification follows Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson’s announcement earlier this year of the final phase of implementation of the REAL ID Act.  Effective January 22, 2018, TSA will only accept state-issued driver’s licenses or identification cards if they are issued by a REAL ID compliant state or a non-compliant state with an extension.  As always, travelers may use alternate forms of identification such as a passport, military ID, or permanent resident card. A complete list of identification documents accepted at TSA checkpoints is available on tsa.gov.

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, establishes the minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies, like TSA, from accepting licenses and identification cards for certain official purposes, including boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft, from states that do not meet these minimum standards and have not received an extension for compliance from DHS.

DHS continues to work with states to encourage compliance and may grant extensions or determine compliance for additional states as warranted.  TSA will update signage if and when states that are currently listed receive extensions.  Learn more about REAL ID, check the status of your state’s compliance or read the frequently asked questions.

 

The Real ID Act of 2005 states that state-issued IDs from these nine states do not meet the minimum security standards of the federal government. They are Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina & Washington.