REAL ID is a case study of how constantly shifting politics in the United States makes it nearly impossible to get constructive long-term projects done.
First developed in 2001 after a patchwork of security authorities failed to stop the hijacking of multiple flights on September 11, and finally passed by then-President George W. Bush in 2005, REAL ID was created as a way to ensure that every U.S. citizen traveler who passes through federally run security checkpoints could be properly vetted and identified by the same channels. It was seen as a necessary unifying step for all the country’s security systems.
Despite REAL ID’s intentions, though, it faced delay after delay on multiple fronts, some political (some states balked at ID requirements) and some practical (the Covid-19 pandemic).
As of May 7, 2025, the delays are over. REAL ID requirements are finally here—but it took so long that a demoralized Transportation Security Administration that is now warning that the Trump Administration’s cancellation of their hard-won 2023 work contract will leave the door open to future security lapses anyway.
If you arrive at an airport or cruise terminal without a driver license that has been validated as conforming to REAL ID (here’s what it takes and how you’ll know), you can still get through—with a big caveat.
“Passengers 18 or older who arrive at the airports after May 7th and after without proper ID—a REAL ID or some form of acceptable ID—are going to face delays at checkpoints,” said TSA spokesman Daniel Velez on WTVR in Richmond, Virginia. “They’re going to be subjected to additional verification procedures. You need to make sure you’re at the airport a least 3 hours prior to departure time.”
You might not have known that TSA agents could still process passengers without the right ID—or any ID, if you lost it—but they can. It just takes time and patience. We described the procedure in a 2024 story here on Frommer’s.
From now on, if you show up at the airport with only a driver license that isn’t REAL ID-compliant, you’ll be treated pretty much the same was as if you showed up at the airport without an ID at all—and for that laborious verification process, you need to arrive at least 3 hours early.
Your other option is to bring identification, other than a driver license, that is considered just as valid as REAL ID. Those include passports and passport cards, but you’ll find a full list of accepted non-REAL ID documents here.