Beginning in 2025, travelers will need a Real ID or other federally compliant identification if they want to take a domestic flight within the United States.
But not every traveler is required to have an identification in order to fly in the 50 states, according to the federal Transportation Security Administration.
Under TSA rules, children under the age of 18 are not required to present identification when traveling within the United States.
But TSA advises travelers to check with their airlines if they have questions regarding specific ID requirements for travelers under the age of 18.
You can visit the TSA website for more information about airport identification requirements and other screening protocols for airline travelers within the United States.
Beginning on May 7, 2025, American adults will need a Real ID identification or another federally compliant identification in order to fly domestically or to enter certain federal properties, including courthouses and military installations.
Entry to nuclear power plants will also require a federally recognized identification.
Go here for a list of other forms of identification that are acceptable at airport check-ins.
Real ID driver’s licenses or non-driver’s ID cards are available from motor vehicle departments or equivalent offices in the 50 states, including the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.
Real ID must be obtained in person. It cannot be done on the phone, online or through the mail.
You should have these documents in hand before going to the DMV to apply for your Real ID.
Here’s how to avoid the most common mistakes while applying for a Real ID.
There is no extra charge for a Real ID, but standard DMV processing fees apply.
Go here for the driver’s license requirements in the various states.
The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards,” according to the federal Department of Homeland Security.
The law and its implementing regulations establish minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibit federal agencies from accepting for certain official purposes noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.
Real ID implements security processes designed to reduce identity fraud and to provide the highest certainty that the individual with the identity document in front of you is who they say they are.
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