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 they'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."
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."
According to the TSA, there is an alternative compliance mechanism if you show up at the airport without a REAL ID.
"The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process, which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity," the agency's website says. "If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening."
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, they caution, 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."
Yes. According to the Transportation Security Administration, these are the acceptable forms of 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:
"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.
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.
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.