Real ID now mandatory for US air travel: What passengers need to know

The time has finally come for REAL ID enforcement as travelers flying within the US starting Wednesday must use a state-issued ID or license that is "REAL ID" compliant, reports CNN, which noted that operations seemed to be running relatively smoothly at airports early Wednesday. CNN observed that while airport situations were stable, lines outside some states' departments of motor vehicles told a different story as people who hadn't received compliant IDs tried to catch up. In downtown Chicago, a line Wednesday morning to get into a walk-in "supercenter" dedicated to issuing REAL IDs wrapped around a city block. TSA explained that "state-issued driver's licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted as valid forms of identification at airports," though passengers without one will still be able to fly, but "may" face additional screening. 

At Philadelphia International Airport, the REAL ID implementation went smoother than expected, according to Gerardo Spero, TSA federal security director for Pennsylvania and Delaware, who told CNN that security lines moved quickly with relatively few passengers diverted for additional screening.

FOX 9 tested out the first day of REAL ID enforcement at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, finding surprisingly smooth operations with no signs of backups, though signs warned that a REAL ID would be required starting Wednesday. The news outlet's reporter, Kyle Potter, tested how long it would take to get through TSA without a REAL ID and found he got through security in just 4 minutes, receiving only a stern reminder and an informational flier about needing a REAL ID to travel. 

According to information shared by FOX 9, the REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and was enacted following the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the federal government set standards for identification documents. The station explained that after May 7, in Minnesota, people will still be able to apply for three types of driver's licenses: the standard, REAL ID, or enhanced—depending on access needs. FOX 9 also reported on the surge in applications, with Minnesota's Driver and Vehicle Services stating that in April, the volume of just REAL ID applications was nearly 100,000, overwhelming their capacity of processing just under 1,000 applications per day.

Operations were running smoothly at Indianapolis International Airport Wednesday morning, where, by 9 a.m. local time, a TSA employee told USA Today that only a couple dozen people had gone through security without displaying a REAL ID. The newspaper's reporting from airports nationwide showed that passengers without a REAL ID or passport were typically pulled aside for additional screening but were still allowed to pass to their gates if they cleared the checks. At John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, USA Today observed that security lines were moving smoothly, with two JetBlue employees verifying that nearly all passengers had REAL ID-compliant documents. 

The publication explained that REAL ID-compliant cards have a star marking on the top portion of the card, which in states like California appears on an outline of a bear, while in other states it's a simple golden star. According to USA Today's comprehensive coverage, TSA-approved alternatives to a REAL ID include passports, passport cards, DHS trusted traveler cards, U.S. military IDs, tribal photo IDs, and certain other federally approved identification documents. The newspaper also clarified that children under 18 aren't required to show ID when flying domestically, though adults accompanying them must still present proper identification.