New ID Requirements for Travel as of January 2018

If you’ve traveled in recent days, you have likely noticed TSA signs in the airport reminding travelers of new identification requirements that will begin in January 2018. As a result of a law passed by Congress in 2005, the Real ID Act establishes a new set of security requirements for state-issued identity cards and driver’s licenses. As of the beginning of 2017, nine states have failed to comply with these standards.

These non-compliant states are:

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

If these states remain out of date, residents will be required to present an alternative ID prior to boarding a domestic flight effective January 22, 2018. Accepted alternatives may include:

• U.S. passports or passport card
• Permanent resident card
• Trusted-traveler card
• Military ID

[See the TSA Identification page for a complete list]

A few other states and territories are not currently compliant but have received an extension to the Real ID Act. These states have until October 2020 to update their identification methods:

• American Samoa
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Louisiana
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Northern Mariana Islands
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• Texas
• Virgin Islands 

If your state is not on either of these lists, your driver’s license or identity card is already compliant and will continue to be accepted for domestic U.S. flights throughout 2018 and beyond. However, compliance can change, so please refer to this Department of Homeland Security Current Status page to find your state’s current status related to the Real ID Act. Also, feel free to check back on our blog for updates, or contact us directly.