TSA Confirms REAL ID Enforcement in Effect at US Airports

A spokesperson says that 81 percent of people have compliant forms of ID.

Passengers at O'Hare International Airport wait in line to be screened at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, in Chicago, Ill., on May 16, 2016. Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that 81 percent of domestic air travelers have identification compliant with REAL ID requirements that went into effect at U.S. airports on May 7.

A spokesperson for the TSA confirmed to The Epoch Times on May 7 that the agency has started “full enforcement” of the law and that people who show IDs that are not compliant will “receive a warning” and will be sent to a “separate area” to undergo more screening from the TSA.

The TSA, the spokesperson said, is not accepting “state-issued identifications that are not REAL ID compliant” and that “early reports from airports indicate there are no issues and wait times remain within benchmark levels.”

About 81 percent of domestic air travelers already have a REAL ID or another form of identification, such as passports, the spokesperson added.

Starting May 7, the agency “will enforce REAL ID in a manner that minimizes the impact to overall operations and especially for those passengers who are prepared with their REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of ID,” the spokesperson added. “TSA is planning accordingly to ensure no impact to wait times or TSA screening operations​,” the statement continued.

The statement echoes a comment made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose department oversees the TSA, during a House hearing on Tuesday. She said people without REAL IDs or alternatives will be allowed to fly, but may need to undergo more steps.

“Folks will come through the line, and [they] will issue their ID and show it. If it’s not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly,” she told the congressional panel, also reiterating that 81 percent of people have compliant forms of ID.

The REAL ID law was passed in Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks commission recommended enhanced screening measures in the wake of the attacks. The mandate was pushed back a number of times until May 7, 2025.

Federal, state, and local governments have been encouraging people through a variety of means to upgrade or get REAL ID-compliant licenses or IDs in advance of the deadline.

A REAL ID is a state-issued driver’s license or identification card that is approved by the federal government. The IDs are typically marked with a star on the upper right corner of the ID card or license, although each state has a different design.

Aside from the new form of ID, other acceptable identification can be presented at TSA checkpoints, including U.S.-issued and foreign passports and some government-issued ID cards, according to the TSA’s website. Enhanced Driver’s Licenses that are issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont are considered acceptable under the TSA mandate.

Under the mandate, people will also need to show a REAL ID at a military base or a secure federal building, such as a courthouse, the TSA says. However, the ID is not required to drive. The TSA also does not mandate that children under the age of 18 have one to fly.

A spokesperson for the TSA also told news outlets this week that the agency is recommending that travelers without an acceptable form of ID should arrive at the airport three hours before their scheduled departure time.