By Jacob Passy

Time is up: Starting Wednesday, most U.S. travelers without a passport will be required to have a REAL ID to board domestic flights.

After more than a decade of warning this day would come, the Transportation Security Administration says every flier over the age of 18 will be expected to have the security-enhanced REAL ID or an approved alternative to pass through airport security checkpoints.

If they don't, they will face extra scrutiny at the airport, though still be allowed to fly, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday.

"We intend to follow the law," Noem told lawmakers during a House committee hearing. Still, "we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary."

Government officials anticipate some air travelers won't have REAL ID-compliant identification on them. As of April, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints were presenting a state-issued REAL ID or other acceptable identification, according to the TSA.

Here is what you need to know about the REAL ID rules.

How do I know if I have a REAL ID already?

Many states, including California and New York, have been issuing standard licenses alongside REAL IDs, giving applicants the option to choose. So having a recently issued license or other state ID card doesn't guarantee you're in the clear.

To determine whether your state-issued ID complies with the requirements, check if there is a star or flag symbol on the card, typically in the top right corner. If there is, you're all set. If you have an enhanced license that allows you to cross the Canadian or Mexican border, you're also good.

If there isn't a symbol or it says, "Not for federal purposes," there is a good chance it isn't REAL ID compliant.

Why is the government making travelers get REAL IDs?

The federal government set out the REAL ID requirements in 2005 through legislation crafted in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The goal of the law was to create standard criteria for issuing ID cards across the country to make the identification people use at airports more secure.

The implementation of the travel requirement was delayed multiple times in recent years as states worked to create ID cards that would comply.

What other forms of ID can I use at the airport?

Travelers can use certain other forms of ID at airport checkpoints if they don't have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license. You can use a passport or passport card instead, for instance.

Other acceptable forms of ID include Department of Homeland Security trusted-traveler cards such as Global Entry or Nexus, Defense Department IDs, certain IDs issued by tribal nations and veteran health identification cards, among others. A full list of approved IDs is available at the TSA's website.

I'm taking a flight this weekend and don't have a REAL ID or passport. What now?

Budget plenty of extra time before your flight. A TSA spokesman told The Wall Street Journal that people without REAL ID or other acceptable identification "will be notified of their noncompliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening."

The agency isn't disclosing what those extra screening procedures will entail, the spokesman said.

Can I still get a REAL ID, and how long will it take?

Yes, but how long it will take varies by state. Some states are grappling with backlogs at Department of Motor Vehicles sites, despite many DMV offices adding hundreds of appointment slots and extending operating hours. In some states that require people to make appointments to get a new ID, appointments have been booked for months.

Some AAA branches, such as those in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, have also been processing REAL ID applications for members through a partnership with local DMVs.

This explanatory article may be periodically updated.

Write to Jacob Passy at jacob.passy@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 06, 2025 15:16 ET (19:16 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.