Flying without REAL ID? Here's how much extra time you need at security

The REAL ID deadline begins Wednesday (May 7), though Department of Homeland Security officials say those without the new identification can still board planes but will need to get to the airport even earlier.

At a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said travelers who are not REAL ID compliant will face additional security procedures at U.S. airports, including possibly being diverted to extra lines. The New York Times reports that TSA officials recently echoed that statement on Reddit, saying fliers without REAL IDs should get to the airport an hour earlier than they initially planned.

The REAL ID deadline arrives nearly 20 years to the day after the REAL ID law passed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The requirement for having a REAL ID to fly domestically has been continually extended but was finally set in stone by President Biden, with the Trump administration keeping that May 2025 date.

For decades, Americans have been able to fly domestically using only a state-issued driver’s license, but the star-emblazoned REAL ID requires more identity confirmation, including documents verifying addresses and social security numbers. Every state has different rules on how you turn their state ID or driver's license into a federally-compliant REAL ID. California, for example, asks travelers to fill out an online application, upload necessary documents (like passports and birth certificates for personal identification and utility bills to prove California residency), provide a social security number, then go to a Department of Motor Vehicles office — with the hard copies of the documents you uploaded — before the REAL ID is issued.

American travelers without REAL IDs can still fly domestically, and without extra security, with a U.S. passport, a permanent resident card, a Global Entry card, or a Department of Defense ID.