In less than a month, travelers – at Philadelphia International Airport and around the country – may be turned away from boarding a domestic flight if their only form of identification is a standard-issue state driver’s license.
A long-delayed nationwide regulation, requiring the use of a Real ID or U.S. passport to fly, is set to go into effect May 7. The cards (or a passport) will also be necessary to enter military bases and some federal sites.
So far, just over a quarter of Pennsylvania drivers – about 2.6 million people – have acquired a Real ID, according to the commonwealth’s Department of Transportation, which issues the identification cards.
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration said Friday that it intends to begin enforcement to meet the May deadline. Passengers who present non-compliant IDs “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” the agency added.
“We’re strongly encouraging everyone to make sure you have what you need to travel before you arrive at the airport, especially if you already have flights planned for the summer,” PennDOT Secretary Michael Carroll said in a statement last week.
Pennsylvania Real ID cards have a gold star in the corner. Many non-Real ID licenses have a line reading: “Not for Real ID purposes.”
Getting a Real ID is optional, and it is currently not required to drive, vote, visit hospitals or access federal courthouses. The TSA does not mandate identification for commercial airline passengers under the age of 18.
To obtain a Real ID, residents need to bring proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or U.S. passport; proof of Social Security number; and two proofs of current address, such as a driver’s license, vehicle registration or utility bill.
For married women and others who have changed their legal name, PennDOT requires a county-issued marriage certificate, court order or other documentation, officials said.
A full list of accepted documents is available on PennDOT’s website.
Pennsylvanians can get theirs while renewing their state identification or by applying at a PennDOT driver’s license center.
State officials said some Real ID applications can be completed online, if a resident received their first identification card after September 2003 and PennDOT has retained their documents. Pennsylvanians can submit their information on the department’s website to check if they meet the requirements for pre-verification and can avoid an in-person trip.
Driver’s license centers are typically closed on Monday; however, earlier this year, PennDOT began opening nearly 60 sites from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. for Real ID transactions only.
At a select number of facilities, residents can apply for and receive their Real ID on the same day. Centers in the Philadelphia region with that capability include the locations in Southwest Philadelphia (2904 S. 70th St.), Norristown (1700 Markley St.) and King of Prussia (143 S. Gulph Road).
The use of Real ID is mandated under a federal law adopted in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Enforcement deadlines have been repeatedly pushed back for more than 15 years.
Pennsylvania has offered Real ID since 2019.
