Why residents in some American states may soon need a passport for domestic air travel

  • The Real ID Act was passed more than 10 years ago to crack down on fake IDs 
  • Stricter standards are soon to be required before state-issued IDs are provided 
  • Several states still haven't been deemed as compliant with the new standards 
  • This means their residents may need to carry a passport to travel with the US 

Residents of some US states will soon require additional ID, such as passports, if they wish to embark on air travel - even if just domestically 

Residents of some US states will soon require additional ID, such as passports, if they wish to embark on air travel - even if just domestically 

They were previously allowed to use mere driving licenses. 

But residents of some US states will soon require additional ID, such as passports, if they wish to embark on air travel - even if just domestically.

That's the new procedure on the horizon for people from states that have not yet introduced the standards required by the 2005 Real ID Act, which demands stricter regulations for state-issued IDs.

The states that haven't yet fallen into line each now have a grace period of three months to meet the revised criteria. 

This deadline expires on 22 January 2018.

Travellers from states that miss the deadline will risk being detained at airport security and prevented from boarding flights if they don't have a passport or other TSA-approved form of identification, such as a green card, border crossing card or military ID.

This includes both international and domestic journeys.

At the time of writing, according to the Department of Homeland Security's website, only 27 US states are compliant with the Real ID Act.

Many are listed as being under review. 

The legislation, which was established after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, makes it harder to obtain a driver's license with counterfeit records. 

This map, issued by the TSA, reveals which states are compliant with the new ID rules

This map, issued by the TSA, reveals which states are compliant with the new ID rules

At the time of writing, according to the Department of Homeland Security's website, only 27 US states are compliant with the Real ID Act 

At the time of writing, according to the Department of Homeland Security's website, only 27 US states are compliant with the Real ID Act 

US congress passed the act 10 years ago, but it wasn't enforced until 2013.

By October 2020 the entire country will need to meet the revised standards, or face strict travel limitations.

The US Department of State recommends allowing up to six weeks for passports to be completed and returned, although people can pay for faster turn-around of 21 days.


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