This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
Your May travel plans could be in jeopardy if you don’t have the proper ID to get on a plane. The REAL ID Act takes effect in about a month. Are you ready?
May 7 is the deadline for having identification that’s recognized by the federal government. Without it, you won’t be able to get on a plane or visit many federal buildings, like courthouses or military bases. A Washington driver’s license is not acceptable because our state doesn’t require proof of citizenship or other information; however, the state’s enhanced driver’s license is.
I had to wait about two weeks to get an appointment to get mine, and that was in January. Appointments now are running about two months out at many popular locations, which might leave you out of luck.
“It depends on the office location,” the Department of Licensing’s Thomas Charlson said. “We’d suggest looking at our appointments to see if there are any available in the area. I know at least with the Seattle area, appointments may be hard to come by.”
The best way to get a real ID
You can still walk-in to any location and wait, but that will likely take a while.
“If you’re not seeing an appointment and you waited to the last minute, you can also still walk into one of our offices,” Charlson said. “I’d suggest there, to also plan ahead. We do have estimated wait times on our website that give you an idea of how long it’s going to be to get into the office.”
The best option could be standing outside the office as soon as it opens. Getting your name on that walk-in list early will likely save you several hours.
Not many Washingtonians have an enhanced license
Only 26% of Washington drivers have an enhanced license, but Charlson said that number has been going up.
“In January, more than 36,000 people were trying to upgrade, and then in February, it was more than 32,000 people trying to upgrade to an enhanced driver’s license,” he said. “So we are, we are seeing an increase.”
This being said, if you have some other form of acceptable federal ID, there’s no need to rush out and get an enhanced license.
“You don’t have to get an enhanced driver’s license if you don’t want one,” Charlson said. “You could still get a US passport, US military ID, tribal ID, Permanent Resident Card, and all of those options work.”
The Real ID Act was supposed to take effect years ago. It has been delayed and postponed for a decade as states and consumers have been slow to adopt it. The act was passed in 2005 as a way to make flying safer in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Will TSA actually turn you away on May 7?
I had a few KIRO Newsradio listeners ask me if the TSA would really be turning people away if they didn’t have an acceptable form of ID. You can imagine what the airport might look like on May 7 with thousands of flyers being turned away. I asked the Seattle TSA what to expect when the Real ID Act takes effect.
This is what the TSA sent me in an email:
“Officials with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) continue to remind the public that starting Wednesday, May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card or another acceptable form of ID to board a commercial aircraft. nce enforcement begins, travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant state-issued credential or another acceptable form of ID can expect delays when they arrive at the TSA security checkpoint. The length of the delay will be determined by the number of other travelers who do not have a REAL ID-compliant credential, or another form of identification accepted by TSA for identity verification.
TSA has a full list of acceptable forms of identification beyond a state-issued driver license or identification card that can be presented at the security checkpoint for identity verification. Some examples of alternate forms of acceptable identification are a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card; Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler card including a Global Entry or SENTRI card; active duty and retired military ID including IDs issued to dependents; and the Transportation Worker Identification Credential.
Congress passed The REAL ID Act in 2005, enacting a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that established minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and identification cards. The Act further prohibited federal agencies, including the TSA, from accepting state-issued driver licenses or identification cards that do not meet the minimum standards.
REAL ID is intended to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards while inhibiting the ability of terrorists and others to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
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