WASHINGTON — The United States has fought two wars after Sept. 11, 2001, has installed countless bollards and surveillance cameras, and weathered many other terrorist-related threats since then.
But the day is now almost at hand when the federal government will at last require that passengers boarding airplanes in the United States use new forms of “real” ID cards that, the government says, will improve aviation security.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has launched a new public information campaign to prepare people for when the new Real ID requirement takes effect next fall. When the Oct. 1, 2020, deadline arrives, all airline passengers will have to show a Real ID-compliant form of identification to board an airplane or enter a TSA checkpoint.
Those who lack a Real ID or other acceptable form of identification, such as a valid passport, will be out of luck. The TSA says those folks will not be allowed to fly.
Local Angle
Washington has been in full compliance with federal requirements for state driver’s licenses and ID cards since October, the Associated Press has reported.
Washington offers, but does not mandate, “enhanced” driver’s licenses and IDs that require proof of U.S. citizenship and are valid under the federal law. Since July, all new and renewed standard licenses — which aren’t in line with the federal requirements — are being marked to indicate they are not Real ID compliant and thus not acceptable for certain purposes by federal authorities once enforcement begins October 2020.
The cost of a standard six-year license/ID is $54; the enhanced licenses/ID is $78.
Residents have a choice of which license they want. Starting Oct. 1, 2020, those with the noncompliant licenses will need additional documentation — such as a passport, permanent resident card or military ID — to board domestic commercial flights and for other federal purposes, such as getting on military bases.
Several states, such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Oregon, have received extensions from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The TSA says every state has made some progress on tightening the documentation of people’s IDs. But to be sure a traveler has a Real ID that will pass muster at a TSA checkpoint, the agency says Real ID-compliant IDs have a red star on the top of the card.
