Hoping to avoid chaos at airports when Real ID requirements take effect on May 7, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration may allow passengers to continue using non-Real ID drivers' licenses, while warning that it could delay their travel plans.
Just over six months remain until domestic airline passengers age 18 and older going through security are supposed to begin showing a Real ID compliant driver's license or alternative such as a passport. Real ID will also be required for visitors to military bases and many federal facilities.
As of January 2024, only 56% of state-issued licenses nationwide were Real ID-compliant, according to TSA. Because millions of people are expected to still be non-compliant in May, TSA predicts that immediate strict enforcement of the Real ID requirements would cause widespread travel disruptions.
"We know that long lines and delays starting on May 7, 2025, would not only impact airline schedules and increase cancellations and inconvenience, they also would increase security risks and escalate physical and verbal abuse of our security officers," Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for TSA, wrote in an email to LNP | LancasterOnline this week.
In order to prevent that, TSA is working on a plan to continue allowing non-Real ID licenses for an undetermined time after May 7, 2025. Details are still being finalized.
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Farbstein said that while passengers without Real ID may be allowed to fly after May 7, 2025, they should expect to face delays and possibly miss their flights.
As of June, the state Department of Transportation had issued 2.3 million total Real ID licenses. The state has 9.1 million licensed drivers, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The application process requires residents to bring documentation to a driver license center showing they are a state resident, lawfully in the country, with a Social Security number.
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Because a large number of residents are expected to apply as May 7, 2025, approaches, Farbstein recommends that passengers apply for a Real ID as quickly as possible.
"Here's a tip: Great gift to give yourself this holiday season -- a Real ID license," Farbstein wrote.
Do I need a real ID?
Getting a Real ID license is optional. A non-Real ID driver's license will still be good for driving and general identification purposes.
In order to fly on domestic commercial flights, passengers age 18 or older will be required to have Real ID - either a driver's license or alternate identification, such as a passport, military identification, or global entry card.
What is the deadline?
May 7, 2025.
What happens then?
Officially, Real ID will be required for all domestic commercial flights on May 7, 2025.
After that date, passengers who don't have Real ID may still be able to fly, but should expect delays at airport security, which could cause them to miss flights, Farbstein said.
TSA issued a rule in September that would allow it to phase in Real ID enforcement between May 7, 2025, and May 7, 2027, starting with written warnings for passengers who don't comply. The exact schedule is still being determined.
How do I get one?
Pennsylvania residents can apply in person for a Real ID license at any PennDOT driver license center and get it in the mail within 15 days. There are 14 locations that provide them the same day, including the one at 2090 Lincoln Highway East in East Lampeter Township. The 131 Rohrerstown Rd. location in East Hempfield Township does not.
What documents can I use?
A full list of documents is available on PennDOT's website. Applicants need to bring proof of identity, Social Security number and all legal name changes, in addition to two documents showing legal Pennsylvania residence.
Proof of identity could include a passport or certified copy of a birth certificate. Original copies of a W-2 or 1099 form, or a pay stub with full Social Security number can be used as proof of Social Security number. Documents proving Pennsylvania residency include a current driver's license, vehicle registration card, leases and utility bills.
A certified marriage certificate or court order approving a name change can be used as proof of a name change. A gender designation change can be proven with a certified, amended birth certificate or form DL-32.
Residents who got their first driver's license after 2003 are eligible for online pre-verification because their PennDOT may already have their documents on file.
How many people have gotten them?
As of June 2024, PennDOT had issued 2.3 million Real ID licenses - about 300,000 of them in the previous year.
According to TSA, 162 million Real IDs had been issued nationwide as of January 2024, representing about 56% of those with driver's licenses or identification cards.
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Why are we doing this?
Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005. It was based on the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government set federal standards for driver's licenses and identification cards.
"Real ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards," TSA Federal Security Director Karen Keys-Turner said. "The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists' ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification."
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