Warning For Travelers As Real ID Deadline Approaches
You’re at the airport. You’re standing in line at security,waiting to be screened. In only a few minutes,you’ll be able to walk to your gate,get on a plane,and summer vacation will begin. But wait:You just checked your wallet and you noticed your old driver’s license. It isn’t a REAL ID and all of the signs around you say that having one is now required. What happens next?
As of Wednesday,the Transportation Security Administration is requiring a REAL ID to pass through security checkpoints at airports. The change in protocol is the result of an act of Congress in 2005,following the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation. The new REAL IDs follow national guidelines for driver’s licenses and other forms of identification.
Getting a REAL ID may take as long as three weeks to receive in the mail after visiting your local DMV and,according to the TSA,the temporary paper cards given at some DMVs will not be accepted.
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But if you’re standing in security right now without a REAL ID,wondering if you’ll be able to get on your flight,the official answer from TSA is only maybe. According to their official statement:
“Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant and who do not have another acceptable alternative (i.e. Passport) can expect to face delays,additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday assured people who don't yet have a REAL ID but need to take a domestic flight that they will be able to fly after clearing additional identity checks.
Noem told a congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have REAL IDs,according to the Associated Press. She said security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification,like they have already been doing.
Those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line,have an extra step,” Noem said.
“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”
Find more answers to your REAL ID questions from the TSA here.
Weathernow24.com writer Wyatt Williams is exploring the relationship between weather,food,agriculture,and the natural world.
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Warning For Travelers As Real ID Deadline Approaches
