As REAL ID becomes compulsory seemingly out of nowhere even if it has been twenty years since the legislation passed, many are panicking that they will not be able to continue to travel this summer before having time to renew their license. There are some good and some bad news in this regard, which is that you do not need to have a REAL ID to travel a passport will do just as well, but since most Americans do not keep their passport up to date, this might not sound like a positive for you. Except it might be.
While this fact is not exactly advertised, after all it is important to have your important documents in order, passport included, according to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. travelers can use a passport for up to two years after it expires as long as they are flying domestically. You will not find this on the front page of the TSA website, but this rule has been around for years, and it is largely unknown. The reason is not surprising, most people that travel with a passport are going abroad, which does not allow expired passports to be used as a valid form of identification.
In fact, many countries (including the US when it comes to foreign travelers) will not even let you in with a passport that is close to expiring, and some require at least six months of validity. But since a passport is used to indicate that you as a citizen have the right to travel abroad, but not domestically, and a passport has all the relevant information that TSA might need, travelling within the country does not pose as much of an issue.
What will happen if you go to the airport without a REAL ID
As long as you have one of the accepted alternatives to travel with, you will not have any problems, but if you only have an invalid form of ID, like a stated that has not been renewed as a REAL ID, you will not just be turned away, at least not immediately. The most likely scenario is that TSA will ask you for additional info to verify who you are, like your name and current address, and if they can confirm your identity that way you will likely be let through.
Having said that, expect some extra screening and extra checks which will last longer than a regular trip through security, so keep that in mind and go to the airport with plenty of time to meet any extra requirements if you already know you will have issues.
Just in case you should verify if you have any other forms of valid ID, since going to the airport hoping for the best does not bode well for anyone, and not having REAL ID could become a problem if TSA cannot verify your identity. The other documents that the TSA still accepts for domestic air travel are:
- A current U.S. passport or passport card
- Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST cards
- Department of Defense IDs (these also include dependent IDs)
- Border crossing cards
- Photo IDs from federally recognized Native American tribes
- PIV cards (Personal Identity Verification) issued under HSPD-12
- Foreign passports
- Canadian provincial driver’s licenses and Canadian Indian Affairs cards
- Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC)
- Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credentials
- Veterans Health Identification Cards (VHIC)
The REAL ID deadline was pushed a few times, but since May 7 it is in full force and regular state-issued licenses will not be accepted for long if they do not have the marks that identify them as REAL ID. So do not take too long to visit your local DMV and try to get an appointment before you need to board a plane.