Prepare for REAL ID Requirements: Your Travel Checklist

Starting May 7, 2025, state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs that are not REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted as valid forms of identification at airports for domestic travel. 

Passengers should either travel with an acceptable alternative form of ID, like a passport, or enroll for a state-issued REAL ID through their state DMV offices.

Travelers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers.

Acceptable ID

The list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice. TSA strongly encourages you check this list again before traveling, so you do not arrive at the airport without acceptable ID.

• REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
  • If you are not sure if your ID complies with REAL ID, check with your state department of motor vehicles.
  • A temporary driver’s license is not an acceptable form of identification.
• 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 (TWIC)
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Don’t have your acceptable 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. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.

You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if you choose to not provide acceptable identification, you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process, or your identity cannot be confirmed.

Expired ID

TSA currently accepts expired ID up to two years after expiration, for the above listed forms of identification.

Children

TSA does not require children under 18 to provide identification when traveling within the United States. Contact the airline for questions regarding specific ID requirements for travelers under 18.

Names with suffixes

TSA accepts variations on suffixes on boarding passes and ID. Suffixes are not required on boarding passes. If there is a suffix on the boarding pass, and there is not one on the ID or vice versa, that is considered an acceptable variation.

What to do if you don’t have a REAL ID?

Don’t panic. The good news is there’s about a two-year “wiggle room period” that gives airports discretion, on a case-by-case basis, to subject travelers to additional screening instead of requiring a REAL ID. You could still be turned away, but systems are expected to allow passage with extra screening. Expect delays if you don’t have the proper form of identification.

Do I need real ID for my cruise?

For cruises that begin and end in the same U.S. port, you don’t need a REAL ID to board the ship. You can use either a passport, a birth certificate accompanied by a state-issued photo ID, or a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license. However, if your cruise requires you to fly to the cruise port, you will need REAL ID or an accepted form of documentation.

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