No star on your license? These flyers tried their luck on the first day of REAL ID
- REAL ID enforcement began May 7, requiring compliant identification for domestic flights.
- Some travelers experienced issues obtaining REAL IDs due to procrastination and appointment backlogs.
- Alternative forms of ID, such as passports and military IDs, are accepted.
After multiple delays, the REAL ID enforcement deadline is here.
The Transportation Security Administration is requiring compliant documentation for adults at U.S. airport security checkpoints starting today, May 7. While the scene at multiple airports around the country seems calm, not everyone is ready.
Parker Schulte arrived at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP) around 3 a.m. on Tuesday – earlier than usual and more anxious than he’d like to admit.
“I wanted to get in early so I could avoid whatever extra checks they need to do for not having REAL ID,” said Schulte, 24, who was flying out that morning without the federally compliant identification now required to board domestic flights as of May 7, 2025.
“I just procrastinated,” he said. “I could have. I should have gotten it done. I just didn’t.”
He's not the only one.
In Denver, Arizona native Justin Conrad, 28, tried unsuccessfully to make a same-day appointment to get a new REAL ID-compliant license at a state licensing office.
Conrad is supposed to attend a memorial service for a college mentor in a few days, and realized he should have an updated license to fly.
“What if I’m stuck in this state forever?” he joked.
Conrad said he works for a Colorado ski resort and didn’t make time to get an updated license during the winter. His passport is expired, he said.
He said he drove a friend 80 miles in his Subaru from their mountain ski town down to Denver International Airport first thing on May 7 and decided to try getting a license while he was in the city.
Colorado has required appointments to get a driver’s license for many years, and staff at the office on May 7 adhered to that policy, telling Conrad there were appointments available in about a month.
“Yeah, I guess it’s not going to happen today for me,” Conrad said.
Conrad said he was considering his options: get an on-the-spot passport in Denver, drive to Tucson or throw himself at the mercy of TSA agents for his May 8 flight.
“I mean, I have an Arizona license, but it doesn’t have that star,” he said. “Maybe they will let me fly if they see I’m going home.”
There is an alternative compliance mechanism if you show up at the airport without a REAL ID.
“Once we identify somebody that doesn't have a compliant ID, we're going to give them one of these notices," Robert Spinden, TSA Federal Security Director for Georgia, said, holding up a small sheet of red paper.
It read, "The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant" and included a QR code that linked to a list of acceptable identification.
"Then they may be referred to some special lanes or they may undergo some additional screening on the lane that they're at," Spinden said at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. "It'll be a minor inconvenience, and so I would recommend that passengers plan for some extra time. But they'll still be able to fly. They'll still make their plane.”
For Schulte, it was a relatively painless process to get past TSA security without a REAL ID.
“It was like an extra five minutes,” he said. “They just swabbed some of the stuff in my bag.” Schulte had also brought extra documents just in case.
But that ease of experience isn’t guaranteed.
“I would just say kind of make sure you bring, like, stuff for them to verify,” Schulte said. “From what I understand, it’s different everywhere. It’s just whatever the TSA people at the time feel like they’re doing or whatever the rules are for that particular station.”
For now, Schulte’s best advice to travelers who are cutting it close: “Be prepared. You don’t know how it’s gonna go—find out.”
What other documents are accepted by TSA?
Yes. According to the Transportation Security Administration, these are the acceptable forms of REAL ID:
- State-issued Enhanced Driver's License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs)
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
How do I get a REAL ID?
REAL IDs are issued by states, the District of Columbia and the five major U.S. territories. Travelers will need to show documents with the following in order to get a REAL ID-compliant license or ID, per DHS:
- Their full legal name
- Birthday
- Social security number
- Two forms of proof of their address at their “principal residence”
- Lawful status
“States may impose additional requirements, so check with your state’s driver’s licensing agency website, before visiting them in person, for additional guidance and assistance,” DHS said on its website.
Even after the deadline passes, travelers can use acceptable alternative forms of ID, including passports or a state-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (only available in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Washington). They will also still need a passport for international travel.
How long does it take to get a REAL ID?
That depends. In Tennessee, for instance, while applicants will receive an interim paper document immediately, the hard copy arrives by mail 10 to 20 days later.
“If you need a REAL ID compliant credential for an upcoming trip, please allow enough time before to receive your hard copy in the mail,” the state’s Department of Safety and Homeland Security said on its website. “A paper credential may not be accepted by TSA.”
Connecticut’s Department of Motor Vehicles, meanwhile, advises residents that hard copies will arrive “within 20 business days” of their appointment.
How much does REAL ID cost?
Fees vary by state or other jurisdiction. In Washington, D.C., applicants must pay $47 for a standard first-time driver’s license or renewal, while getting a duplicate of their current driver’s license costs $20. “The fees for REAL ID credentials are the same as those for our current credentials,” the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles website reads.
Maine, for its part, charges $55 to obtain a new non-commercial license – or to renew one – for residents younger than 65, and $40 for those 65 and up, according to its Department of the Secretary of State. Duplicate licenses or ID cards cost $30. Travelers should check with their local agencies for pricing information.
(This story has been updated with new information.)