REAL ID checks tighten

U.S. airport security has stopped accepting noncompliant state licenses for domestic flights, and travelers without a REAL ID or another approved document now face extra checks or denial. (tsa.gov) The Transportation Security Administration began full REAL ID enforcement on May 7, 2025, at checkpoints nationwide. The rule applies to airline passengers age 18 and older, including Transportation Security Administration PreCheck members. (dhs.gov) (tsa.gov) A REAL ID is a state driver’s license or identification card that meets federal security standards set by the REAL ID Act of 2005. At airport checkpoints, travelers can also use a U.S. passport, passport card, military identification, permanent resident card, or other documents on the Transportation Security Administration’s approved list. (tsa.gov 1) (tsa.gov 2) The Transportation Security Administration says a standard state license without REAL ID marking is no longer valid by itself for boarding a commercial flight in the United States. The agency’s online REAL ID checker tells travelers to look for a star on the card and then verify details with their state motor vehicle agency. (tsa.gov 1) (tsa.gov 2) The rules tightened again on February 1, 2026, when the Transportation Security Administration added a paid identity-verification option called ConfirmID for people who arrive without acceptable identification. The agency says the fee is $45 and the process only starts an attempt to verify identity; it does not guarantee a passenger will be allowed through screening. (tsa.gov) That is a shift from the long-delayed rollout period, when many travelers could still use older state licenses because states had extensions or federal agencies had not started full enforcement. The Transportation Security Administration published its final enforcement rule on January 13, 2025, and said the rule did not extend the May 7, 2025 deadline. (dhs.gov) (tsa.gov) The law reaches beyond airports. The Department of Homeland Security says adults 18 and older also need a REAL ID-compliant license or another acceptable document to enter most federal facilities that require identification checks. (dhs.gov) Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 after the September 11 Commission recommended national standards for state-issued identification. The Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration spent years delaying enforcement as states updated licensing systems and residents replaced older cards. (tsa.gov) (dhs.gov) For travelers with flights this spring and summer, the practical check is simple: look at the card in your wallet before leaving for the airport. If it is not REAL ID-compliant, bring a passport or another approved document, because the checkpoint now treats that missing star as a real problem. (tsa.gov 1) (tsa.gov 2)