AAA Urges Action as REAL ID Deadline Nears for U.S. Air Travelers
Beginning May 7th, U.S. and Delaware residents will be required to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, photo ID card, or another form of federally accepted identification (such as a valid passport or military ID) to board domestic commercial flights. REAL ID is optional in Delaware, but AAA Mid-Atlantic urges residents who plan to fly should act quickly — especially ahead of the busy summer travel season. Jana Tidwell of AAA tells the Talk of Delmarva…
“AAA reminds Delawareans that federal enforcement of REAL ID begins in just one week, requiring domestic air travelers to have a REAL ID or another form of federally acceptable identification,” said Jana Tidwell, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Travelers should check their current form(s) of identification to be sure it’s acceptable when going through TSA security checkpoints. If air travel is in your future, especially this summer, obtaining a REAL ID ahead of time will ensure you don’t experience any travel delays or postponements. A REAL ID or valid passport, will be required for all domestic flights beginning on May 7.”
AAA urges Delawareans to learn more about REAL ID before all Delaware air travelers are required to have a REAL ID or valid passport in order to board a domestic flight beginning May 7, 2025.
What is REAL ID?
REAL ID Act is a federal law that sets minimum security standards for the issuance of driver’s licenses and identification cards used for specific federal purposes:
- Boarding a domestic commercial flight
- Entering a secure federal building
- Accessing military installations
REAL ID-compliant cards:
- Feature a gold star
- Produced using the same security features as standard-issued products.
- After March 2019, standard-issue, non-REAL ID driver’s licenses and ID cards will also look different. Per federal REAL ID regulations, non-REAL IDs must be clearly labeled with the words “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES.”
Do You Have to Get a REAL ID?
REAL ID is optional for Pennsylvania residents. You will be able to get either a REAL ID driver’s license or identification card, or a standard driver’s license or identification card. If you do not get a REAL ID, you must have an alternate form of federally-acceptable identification (valid passport, military ID, etc.) to board domestic commercial flights, access military installations, and enter certain federal facilities that require federally acceptable ID after May 7, 2025.
It is NOT necessary to have a REAL ID to:
- Drive
- Vote
- Apply for or receive federal benefits for which you are entitled (Veterans’ Affairs, Social Security Administration, etc.)
- Visit the post office
- Access hospitals
- Access Federal Courts, testify in federal court, etc.
What is the process to apply for a REAL ID?
To get a REAL ID compliant license in Delaware, individuals can visit the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles web site to learn how and where to get their REAL ID license.
Acceptable Identification at a TSA Checkpoints
According to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), adult passengers 18 and older must show valid identification at the airport checkpoint in order to travel. Acceptable identification at TSA checkpoints:
- Driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
- Beginning May 7, 2025, if you plan to use your state-issued ID or license to fly within the U.S., it must be REAL ID compliant. If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.
- A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification
- State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
(NOTE: The above list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice. TSA strongly encourages travels check the above list again before traveling, so they so not arrive at the airport without acceptable ID.)
(EXPIRED ID: TSA currently accepts expired ID up to a year after expiration, for the above listed forms of identification.)
About REAL ID
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on December 20, 2013 a phased enforcement plan for the REAL ID Act (the Act), as passed by Congress, that will implement the Act in a measured, fair, and responsible way.
Secure driver’s licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework. The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. The purposes covered by the Act are: accessing Federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants, and, no sooner than 2016, boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.