Will You Need a Passport for Domestic Flights Next Year?

Image: PHOTO: Real IDs will be required at TSA checkpoints starting January 22, 2018. (photo via Flickr/Danjo Paluska)

by Monica Poling
Last updated: 5:08 PM ET, Sun October 22, 2017

If you've been thinking about getting your passport renewed, it might be time to stop thinking and start doing.

Not only, reports the L.A. Times, are wait times for U.S. passports shorter in autumn but come January 22, 2018, you could be among a very large group of Americans who are no longer able to use their driver's license to check in at the airport for domestic flights.

The program, called Real ID, which has been around since 2005, is a federal mandate requiring that every state must issue more-secure ID cards to its residents.

Originally, the date for state compliance was set for January 2016, but less than half of all states were compliant at the beginning of that year. So, the Department of Homeland Security announced a new timeline with a two-year extension, mandating full compliance by January 22, 2018.

Two years after the extension, with the new deadline looming, nearly half of the states are still non-compliant.

"It has been 12 years since the REAL ID Act was passed and half of all the states have already met the REAL ID minimum standards," wrote the Department of Homeland Security on its website. "It is time that the remaining jurisdictions turn their commitments to secure identification into action."

A graphic on the DHS website, show states in one of four categories: compliant, extension, under review and not compliant.

Currently, about half of the states are fully compliant with the new Real ID regulations. Most of the remaining states, including California Oregon Washington, Alaska Pennsylvania, Virginia and South Carolina have been granted an extension through October 18, 2018.

A handful of states, including New York, Michigan Illinois and Louisiana, as well as all of the nation's island territories, such as Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, are "under review," which means they've requested an extension, but one has not yet been granted.

Travel industry officials, however, say that they believe there is no cause for concern at this point and are "cautiously optimistic" that the DHS will continue to grant state extensions.

Still, to be on the safe side, residents of those states and regions might want to be prepared, come January 22, just in case their driver's licenses become invalid for check-in at commercial airports. They might also be barred from visiting any nuclear power plants and federal facilities-including military bases.

Adding to the confusion, according to the LA. Times, some states may be further granted an extensio through October 2020.

The same article also notes that while California will not be fully compliant as of January 22, 2018, residents will have the option to undergo the rigorous process of applying for Real ID starting January 2, 2018.

In California, that process includes an in-person application which will require the applicant prove their birthdate (with a passport or birth certificate), prove California residency (with two documents) and bring their Social Security card.

By October 2020, Real ID cards will be mandatory at every TSA checkpoint in the nation.

Until that time, it's probably not a bad idea for residents of non-compliant states to apply for a passport, just in case. It's also probably a good idea to plan to pack extra patience when visiting the nation's airports after January 22, 2018, as under-prepared passengers will more than likely add to security delays.

You can view the DHS' interactive map of compliant and non-compliant states here.

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