Real ID Deadline for Domestic Fliers is Extended. Again. - The New York Times

Travel|You’ve Got to Be Kidding! Real ID Deadline for Domestic Fliers Is Extended. Again.

The 2005 Real ID Act, which mandates that U.S. travelers indispensable transportation much than a modular driver’s licence to committee a home flight, was acceptable to spell into effect connected May 3, 2023. But connected Monday, aft immoderate 15 years of delays, the Department of Homeland Security pushed the deadline for enforcement by an further 24 months. Travelers present person until May 7, 2025, to update their documents.

The Real ID Act is simply a post-Sept. 11 instrumentality that requires U.S. travelers flying wrong the United States to amusement Transportation Security Administration agents either a security-enhanced driver’s licence oregon different T.S.A.-approved signifier of recognition similar a passport. When the enactment yet goes into effect, a authorities driver’s licence that does not incorporate a Real ID seal volition nary longer beryllium accepted astatine airdrome information checkpoints crossed the country.

Congress passed the Real ID Act aft uncovering that astir each of the hijackers who boarded commercialized planes connected Sept. 11, 2001, were carrying U.S. driver’s licenses and authorities IDs, and that astir of those documents had been obtained fraudulently. The act, which sets minimum standards for driver’s licenses and different types of recognition cards, was initially intended to instrumentality effect successful 2008. It has been extended aggregate times, including doubly during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The astir caller rollout has been marked by confusion. While Real IDs amusement the applicant has been screened and approved by national standards, the cards are issued by idiosyncratic states, U.S. territories (except for American Samoa, which is nether review) and the District of Columbia. Processes for applying alteration from authorities to state, and the carnal look of the paper varies, too: Real ID cards are marked by a star, but its placement is inconsistent.

In immoderate states, including New York, Michigan and Minnesota, residents person the alternate enactment to use for an Enhanced Driver’s License, which is Real ID-compliant but is marked not by a prima but a flag. Unlike Real IDs, E.D.L.s tin besides beryllium utilized for question to and from the United States by onshore oregon oversea from Canada, Mexico and immoderate Caribbean countries successful lieu of a passport.

And successful Washington State, residents tin lone use for an E.D.L. The modular Real ID licence isn’t disposable astatine all.

This clip around, it seemed the deadline for May 3, 2023, was going to stick, and authorities centrifugal conveyance departments rolled retired selling campaigns to promote residents to alteration their documents successful time. In galore states, the power to Real IDs requires a fee.

But this month, national authorities determined that not capable citizens were acceptable for the change, said Dan Velez, the New England spokesperson for the T.S.A., and made the determination to widen the deadline 2 much years.