Travelling is always an exciting thing, but the worst part will always be going through security at the airport. It is a hassle that all of us are used to enduring, shoes off, electronics separately, etc., but now there is a new hurdle for travelers, as starting May 7, the federal REAL ID rule officially goes into effect and if you do not have this document, airport security could turn into a real headache.
Now, to be clear, there has always been a rule mandating some form of ID with you when you travel, especially if you are over 18. The days of just walking up to a gate and boarding a plane without scrutiny are long behind us, but there was flexibility on which ID you could use depending on your state.
How will needing to present a REAL ID impact you in your travels
Well, it will depend on your state of residence. For example, in the state of Colorado the DMV has been issuing REAL IDs since 2009, so for those who have renewed their license in the past decade plus this new travel restriction will not be a problem. This applies not just to citizens, but to any permanent residents of the state. A way to check if your current license is a REAL ID is to check if there is a little star in the top corner.
However other states may not have been as quick to implement the measure, and you might not be covered before the law goes into effect. What is more, if you move to Colorado you will need to go through the REAL ID requirements even if you had one of these IDs in your previous states.
Electra Bustle, who heads up the DMV and the Department of Revenue, explained it clearly: “If you’re coming in from another state, regardless of whether you have a REAL ID from that state or don’t, Colorado puts you through the REAL ID requirements.” And waiting is not an option, as Bustle continues “By law, you must transfer your out-of-state driver’s license within 30 days of becoming a Colorado resident.”
Since this is a new-ish type of license, you might be unaware of the requirements needed to obtain it, but the DMV has you covered with a full list of required documents on their website. The process is not hard and Bustle confirms that there have not been any major delays at DMV offices, even with the deadline coming up, which may also mean that most residents have their documents sorted out from previous renewals.
It is up to you if you want to be compliant though, but if you chose not to and decide to fly, the TSA will absolutely take notice. They have published a list of alternative IDs that are acceptable, like passports or green cards, but showing up with a non-compliant state ID will be a headache for you and you will be pulled aside for further questioning.
TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers confirmed “We will make sure that we’re not delaying those travelers who are in compliance. Those who are not in compliance will be dealt with away from those travelers who are coming to the checkpoint, who are ready, who’ve done the preparation in order to make sure they’re ready for that REAL ID enforcement to begin.”
The confusion over the new requirements has ramped up because of the existence of two types of REAL ID, one that lives in the myColorado app and one that lives in your phone’s wallet app and only the latter is valid for TSA. Bustle cleared that up, too “In the myColorado app … some law enforcement accept it on the side of roads, some real retailers accept it, but if you’re going to TSA, you need the mobile driver’s license which is in one of your wallets: Apple, Samsung, or Google”.