PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Real ID driver’s licenses will be required to board domestic commercial flights starting May 7, the Transportation Security Administration said.
It’s not mandatory to get a Real ID license, but it will be required for people boarding a flight or entering a military base and other federal facilities. Travelers without a Real ID, which bears a gold star, will need another form of identification, such as a passport, at the airport security checkpoint.
Only 25% of Pennsylvania driver’s licenses are Real ID-compliant, according to PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll.
“We would like to prevent the chaos that will come if somebody shows up at the Philadelphia International Airport to fly to Salt Lake City or Los Angeles and they don’t have a Real ID,” Carroll said after a news conference at Philadelphia International Airport. “After May 7, it’s possible to be turned away.”
Enforcement will be phased in beginning May 7, said Gerardo Spero, TSA federal security director for Pennsylvania.
“There will be a procedure in place to enforce — likely, the phased-in requirements that are put out by DHS and TSA,” he said, though he was unable to disclose details of how enforcement would begin.
“We don’t yet have details on what that phase-in might look like, but I can tell you that TSA is committed to facilitating a smooth transition to a Real ID.”
The Real ID requirements were developed after the 9/11 attacks, when terrorists used fake IDs to board planes.
“When you use your driver’s license that meets Real ID standards, it’s proof that you are who you say you are,” Spero said. The enforcement deadline was postponed several times over the years, most recently because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to get a Real ID
Carroll said Pennsylvanians seeking a Real ID driver’s license should contact a PennDOT driver’s licensing center. The cost to get a Real ID in Pennsylvania is a one-time fee of $30, plus a renewal fee. In New Jersey, it is $35.
Applicants need to bring documents — including proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, and proof of residency — to apply.
“I know there’s some hassle here with respect to getting the Real ID, but it’s not nearly as bad as you think,” Carroll added.
Passport holders can choose to wait until their next scheduled license renewal rather than trying to beat the May 7 deadline. However, AAA public relations manager Jana Tidwell said even people with no plans to board a plane should consider applying for a Real ID.
“You may not think you’re ever going to fly,” she said. “But as we say about so many things, it’s always better to have it and not need it as opposed to needing a Real ID and not having it.”
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is adding thousands of appointments every day for renewals. “We’re trying our best to manage demand,” said spokesperson William Connolly.
The commission is also expanding access with mobile unit events all over the Garden State. People should be sure to book the right appointment, Connolly said — a standard renewal if your license expires within three months, and a Real ID appointment for everyone else.
“You would be required to bring the required documents for Real ID, which includes two proofs of address, one verifiable Social Security number, and then identity documents that add up to six points of ID,” he explained.
For more information on the Real ID application process in Pennsylvania, visit pa.gov/agencies/dmv/driver-services. For more information or to make an appointment in New Jersey, visit realid.nj.gov.