Photograph — Sdkb, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Starting May 7, 2025, domestic flyers must present a REAL ID-compliant state-issued ID, a U.S. passport, or a limited list of other acceptable forms of ID. The TSA-made rule applies to travelers 18 and older and closed a long-awaited, but now mandatory, identification gap for domestic flights. We list what you need to know to breeze through the checkpoint.
In this guide
What Changed at the Checkpoint
The Passport and Other Documents That Still Work
If You Show Up Without Acceptable ID
What Changed at the Checkpoint
Despite long-term planing and warnings, the introduction of REAL ID requirements at TSA checkpoints for domestic flights happened, impacting many travelers. Starting May 7, 2025, the agency now accepts only REAL ID-compliant state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards for domestic flights. A state ID card that is not in compliance will not be accepted.
REAL IDs are marked with a star in the upper right-hand corner. Some states had not yet issued REAL IDs by 2025, with some racing to meet the deadline after the impact of COVID-19 registry closures.
The May 7 target date marked a long-awaited milestone from the 2005 Real ID Act, which set a deadline for state implementation of standards developed by the Department of Homeland Security to reduce fraud and terrorism. The REAL ID Act modifier came after a national quality assurance. A REAL ID has security features to reduce fraud.
When you fly, present a REAL ID as proof of identity. It helps streamline airport security checkpoints. TSA officers can help you with it.
The Passport and Other Documents That Still Work
Rather than limit the new rule to specified IDs that are not always in a traveler’s possession, TSA accepts a variety of alternatives to REAL ID-compliant state licenses.
A U.S. passport, whether in the traditional card format or in the wallet-sized passport card, is an acceptable form of identification while in compliance with the updated rules. So are state-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and Enhanced ID cards, which are issued in states bordering Canada, as well as U.S. passport cards.
For travelers with government or military affiliations, the agency accepts DHS trusted traveler cards and IDs, U.S. Department of Defense IDs, and federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe photo IDs. Permanent resident cards, border crossing cards, and foreign government-issued passports are also accepted, as is a limited list of employment authorization and merchant marine credentials. When in doubt, bring your passport.
If You Show Up Without Acceptable ID
TSA lists more than a dozen acceptable IDs, but what happens to travelers who arrive at a checkpoint without any of them? A traveler who doesn’t present an ID will be asked to undergo an identity verification process. It can include requesting information from the passenger, contacting the airline for ID on record, or other investigatory steps. In some cases, travelers will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, but denied boarding of a screened flight.
In others, the verification process will end when there is insufficient information to confirm the passenger’s identity, at which point the traveler may not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint. With no ID accepted, travelers will be denied entry to the airplane. The security supervisor may coordinate with law enforcement for further verification.
