WASHINGTON (AP) — Travelers who aren’t REAL ID compliant by the upcoming deadline this week will still be able to fly but should be prepared for extra scrutiny, the head of Homeland Security said Tuesday.
Kristi Noem told a congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have IDs that comply with the REAL ID requirements. She said security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification when the deadline hits Wednesday.
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.”
Across the country, Department of Motor Vehicles offices extended their hours to help meet the demand. But despite that, some people waited for hours Tuesday to get a REAL ID ahead of the long-delayed deadline.
Renel Leggett, a college student from West Chester, Pennsylvania, spent hours getting her REAL ID and was not happy about it.
“I’ve been out here for three hours to get one ID when I’ve already had one that should have lasted me until about 2029,” Leggett said.
"You have to do it. But it feels like a waste of time,” she said.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey are two of the least compliant states, with the latter issuing the fewest REAL IDs. With in-person appointments hard to find, lawmakers are now looking to catch up with neighboring states by bringing the application for a new ID online.
A newly introduced bill would establish a process for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to accept applications online. The bill's sponsor, Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald, said there was no reason for the process to operate entirely in person at the MVC.
“This is something that is being done, we have the opportunity to mirror it,” he said, adding that while security is important, convenience also matters and would help people save time.
Residents would be able to upload their documents to meet all federal guidelines, similar to how Pennsylvania and New York have done with license renewals.
“Either get a new photo if it’s outdated and you want to go and get it modernized,” Greenwald explained, “or you can have it just processed again and have the license sent to you in the mail.”
When asked why this wasn't attempted sooner, Greenwald said the delays and changes to REAL ID policies over different presidential administrations throughout the years made it difficult — but that this is the right time.
Despite the bill's recent introduction, Greenwald said he expected it to move through the state legislature quickly, due to its time-sensitive nature.
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.
The commission recommended the government set security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008. But implementation has been repeatedly delayed.
Besides needing a REAL ID to fly domestically, people will also need one to access certain federal buildings and facilities.
In recent weeks, Noem has been warning the American public about the upcoming deadline. In a television ad put out by Homeland Security, she warned that these IDs were needed for air travel and for entering public buildings, adding: “These IDs keep our country safe.”
A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license has a symbol (in most states, a star) in the top corner of the card.
In California, about 58% of all driver’s license and ID cardholders have a REAL ID. The state has extended the hours of some Department of Motor Vehicles offices through June 27 to help more people get the federally required identification. Officials are also reminding residents that if they already have a valid U.S. passport, they can wait to upgrade to a REAL ID when their ID or driver’s license is due for renewal.
Lucas Krump was traveling Tuesday to San Francisco on business from Newark, New Jersey, and said he was using a passport to get through security.
“I don’t have a license that is Real ID," he said. “I question the bureaucracy around it. It feels like attacks on everyday people, having to upgrade their licenses and all of their identification for something that really, you know, seems like we’ve been fine without it.”
At the Driver Services Bureau in Jackson, Mississippi, there were no long lines Tuesday, and people were getting their REAL IDs fairly quickly.
Marion Henderson said before going in that she planned to travel to California, Michigan, Chicago and New York this year and wanted to be prepared.
“Even though I have my license, now that it’s required, I wanted to go ahead and get it done” ahead of the deadline, Henderson said.