If You Live In These 6 States, You Might Need To Get A New ID ASAP
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UPDATE: New extensions on the Real I.D. rules mean driver’s licenses from all 50 states will be accepted until October 2018. Read more here.
Check your driver’s license today, travelers. Starting January 22, 2018, there are six states where your license might not be enough to get you through airport security.
If you’re traveling during the beginning of next year, time is running out to get alternate identification to comply with new travel guidelines.
The new identification rules come from the Real ID Act. The law means many state driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted at TSA for domestic travel. (If you’re flying internationally, you will still need your passport – in fact, using a passport for all trips will help you avoid any potential ID problems.)
So why is your driver’s license no good? Well, the Real ID Act requires licenses to meet tougher security requirements, and getting to this point has been a controversial process. Now, after 15 years, we’re approaching the final deadlines.
For travel within the U.S., 27 states are in the clear, 17 have extensions until next October, but six states’ extension requests haven’t been approved yet.
States with a January deadline
You might need alternate identification at airport security if you have a driver’s license from the following states:
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Michigan
- Missouri
- New York
- Rhode Island
Instead of your driver’s license, you can get through security with a passport, border ID, Global Entry or a permanent resident card, according to TSA.
It takes four to six weeks to get a passport. You can apply for a passport at many post offices, courthouses or even libraries around the country. It’s not a cheap process – you’ll pay $135 for your passport – but it is valid for 10 years. Renewing it will cost $110 for another 10 years of use.
The government could approve these six state’s extension requests to the Real ID rules before January, but to be safe, it might be worth investing in a passport or further investigating the status of the rules for your particular state.
States with an October 2018 deadline
The following states (and D.C.) have until October 10, 2018 to implement the Real ID rules:
- Alaska
- California
- Idaho
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- Minnesota
- Montana
- New Jersey
- North Dakota
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Virginia
- Washington
- Washington D.C.
This means residents of these states have an extra year to either get a new license or get a passport.
By October 1, 2020, all U.S. travelers will need a Real ID compliant driver’s license or passport, Global Entry or permanent residence card for all flights. So if you’re a plan-ahead kind of person, it’s not a bad idea to get a passport now if you don’t have one. Plus, just think of all the trips you can plan with a brand-new passport in hand.
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