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Passport needed for domestic travel? Come on!

You might need a passport for domestic travel next year. (Image: U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services)

Might a passport soon be necessary for a trip from Minneapolis to Seattle? Maybe… For nearly a decade, the Transportation Security Administration has been advising states that the IDs they issue – mainly driver’s licenses – must be compliant with the security standards set down in the federal government’s Real ID Act of 2005 if their residents use them to board flights – either international or domestic.

And now the clock is ticking on several states that haven’t yet met that requirement– they complain about the expense and effort it would take to add holograms and other security devices to licenses.

Travel agents, who could be saddled with the burden of fixing a mess like this, are particularly concerned. Trade publication Travel Market Report states, “Until now, the general consensus was that the states would be allowed to progress slowly, as long as they were making some effort in the right direction. But the saber-rattling in the White House is beginning to make travel industry insiders a little more concerned.”

This all means that that starting January 22, residents of those states might have to show a passport at the airport instead of a driver’s license. Even if you don’t live in one of these states, traveling to or from one of them could be a hassle due to the possible back ups a airport security. Those states include:

  • Kentucky
  • Maine
  • Minnesota
  • Missouri
  • Montana
  • Oklahoma
  • Pennsylvania
  • South Carolina
  • Washington State

Actually, the deadline for compliance had been October 10 of this year, but TSA granted the states an extension until January 22.

It’s always possible that some of those states might make the required changes to their IDs before the deadline, but how could they distribute new licenses to everyone in just three short months? It’s also possible that the feds could grant additional extensions for compliance– which is what everyone expects, but who knows?

In any case, if you have an ID from one of the affected states, you might want to get into the habit of carrying your passport with you when you travel, even for domestic trips. If your passport is on the verge if expiring, better act fast to renew it, because that’s a process that can take several weeks unless you pay extra for expedited service. See this: When does your passport expire?

I always travel with my passport– even for domestic trips…just in case. What about you? Will the feds go through with this disruptive move or is someone bluffing here? Leave your comments below. 

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Comments

  2. These states are really dopey or more likely stubborn. Sure it may cost them a little more to upgrade their state IDs … definitely a good reason to inconvenience their citizens who don’t have a passport and don’t fly often. Duh, here’s a clue boys and girls: raise the price of your DLs by a dollar. When will we get back to the government actually doing its job in America?

  3. In the event that the Feds decide to impose this requirement for flights on 1/22/18 and thereafter, what happens to the ticket charges paid to the airlines for travel by people who have neither a REAL ID or a passport. Are the airlines going to have to refund fares and fly with empty seats? Or are they going to keep the money and create a tremendous amount of bad will. I’ve seen nothing in the mainstream media about this approaching deadline and am sure that most people (even those who live in the nine non-compliant states) are unaware of it.

  4. Maybe only new style green cards. Mine was issued in 1985 and is unlikely to be valid.

  5. I understand that Passport Cards, and Global Entry/Nexus/Sentri cards are also Real ID compliant.

  6. This story is half true. You can get a passport card to travel also . If your a lawful permanent resident of the US, you can travel with your alien resident card. These States had years to get their act together and they failed. No sympathy for them.

  7. Question: will a Global Entry or Passport Card do?
    I would expect everyone on this list to have at least one, if not both…

  8. Never gonna happen. The states will either get their act together at the last minute, or they’ll get (another) extension. Waste of time even worrying about it

  9. What’s the point in having a no-fly-list if the people on that list can make credible fake IDs for about $15?

  10. A bunch of nonsense that is a solution in search of a problem. Can anyone please tell me one airline incident that could have been prevented by this silliness? Would 9-11 have been prevented? You really think that changing the drivers license requirements is going to be THE THING that stops an evildoer? And if the TSA is doing its job at the checkpoints, it shouldn’t much matter if a passenger uses a handwritten ID on the back of a napkin, or even no ID at all.

  11. At one point, Connecticut makes it an optional exercise to obtain a REAL ID-compliant driver license by providing additional documentation at the time of renewal. I just noticed that it updated the guidance, and it’s now requiring everyone to provide proof of legal presence, social security number documentation, and in-state residency when obtaining or renewing their license/ID.

  12. I got my Real ID a couple of years ago when I renewed my DL. What’s the point of the Feds imposing deadlines if they won’t follow through? The hold out states need to get with the program for their citizens’ sake.

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