Do You Need A Passport to Fly In The New Year?

This is the numero uno question that I get from clients and random people across the country.

TSA signaled earlier this earlier that it would stop taking driver’s licenses and ID documents from several states. This commotion is mainly due to the REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, and prohibits federal agencies from accepting licenses and identification cards for official purposes from states that do not meet heightened security standards. 

The TSA announced earlier this year that starting January 22, 2018, residents from Kentucky, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Maine, Montana, South Carolina, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Washington state would need another government-issued ID, such as a passport, to fly. However, the hard deadline has been rolled back to October 1, 2020 for the non-compliant states.

The good news is that if you have an ID from a non-compliant state, TSA will continue to accept it to board a domestic flight and to enter certain federal facilities until October 1, 2020. After that date, a REAL ID or other federally accepted ID will be required. California residents can obtain a REAL ID license at the DMV starting January 22, 2018. Further instructions for that are available here.