An employee, right, checks on necessary documents as people line up to apply for Real ID at a Real ID Supercenter in downtown Chicago, on 6 May. Photograph: Kiichiro Sato/APView image in fullscreenAn employee, right, checks on necessary documents as people line up to apply for Real ID at a Real ID Supercenter in downtown Chicago, on 6 May. Photograph: Kiichiro Sato/APUS newsUS airports report smooth operations as new Real ID requirement takes effectHomeland security secretary says people without ID yet can take domestic flights after additional identity checksAssociated PressWed 7 May 2025 18.24 BSTFirst published on Wed 7 May 2025 13.02 BSTShareMost airports around the United States operated smoothly Wednesday as new Real ID requirements took effect because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.Those without the IDs were given flyers informing them that going forward they would need to present Real ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the US.“The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant,” the flyer reads. “You will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification for your next flight or you may expect delays.”It includes a QR code travelers can use to see a list of acceptable identifications.At Philadelphia international airport, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent was pre-checking travelers’ IDs as they entered the security check line. Agents had flyers ready for those who didn’t have compliant IDs, according to Philadelphia Department of Aviation spokesperson Heather Redfern.Many airports reported wait times of a few minutes at security checkpoints on their websites on Wednesday morning, although some had longer waits. LaGuardia airport reported no wait at one TSA PreCheck checkpoint and wait times ranging from 2 to 11 minutes in the general lines. Phoenix Sky Harbor international airport’s website showed wait times at its security checkpoints ranging from 5 to 16 minutes.Nashville international airport reported a wait time of less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning.“The Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID policy is now in effect, and we are pleased to share that the TSA lines are moving efficiently,” the airport said in a social media post.The day before the deadline, people lined up at government offices across the country to secure their compliant IDs. In Chicago, officials established a Real ID Supercenter for walk-in appointments, while officials in California and elsewhere planned to continue offering extended hours for the crush of appointments.The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, on Tuesday assured people who don’t yet have a Real ID but need to take a domestic flight Wednesday that they will be able to fly after clearing additional identity checks.The TSA warned people who don’t have identification that complies with Real ID requirements to arrive early at the airport and be prepared for advanced screening to avoid causing delays.The new requirements have been the subject of many Reddit threads and Facebook group discussions in recent weeks, with numerous people expressing confusion about whether they can travel without a Real ID, sharing details about wait times and seeking advice on how to meet the requirements.Noem told a congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have Real IDs. She said security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification, like they have already been doing.Those who still lack an identification that complies with the Real ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step”, Noem said.“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said. “We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”Real ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.“The whole idea here is to better validate those individuals that were encountering a checkpoint to ensure they are who exactly they say they are,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director in New Jersey.Besides serving as a valid form of identification to fly domestically, people will also need a Real ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.State government offices that issue driver’s licenses and state IDs have seen a significant increase in demand for Real ID, and some have extended their office hours to meet the demand. Some officials have recommended people wait for a while to get Real ID-compliant licenses and cards if they don’t have flight planned in the next few months.Explore more on these topicsUS newsChicagoPhiladelphianewsShareReuse this content
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