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Actual ID requirements for people flying around the US begin on Wednesday, after nearly 20 years of delays.
Before the deadline, people lined up at government agencies around the country to ensure compliant IDs. In Chicago, authorities established actual ID Supercenters for the appointment of walk-in, but officials in California and elsewhere planned to continue offering extended hours to crush appointments.
“I’m here today, so the deadline is not correct, which is tomorrow,” said Marion Henderson, who applied for his actual ID in Jackson, Mississippi on Tuesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem on Tuesday assured people who don’t have a real ID yet but need to board domestic flights on Wednesday that they can fly after clearing additional identity verifications.
People line up outside the Miami-Dade County Office of County Office in Miami on Tuesday, May 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Some complained about the need to secure an ID after waiting in line for hours.
Michael Aceto was waiting for about two and a half hours on Tuesday at the Prussian King DMV in Philadelphia to obtain his actual ID.
“It’s a sob pain. It’s really a lot of time. Everyone has to take off from work to be here,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s a huge waste of time.”
The Transportation Security Bureau warned those who do not have ID cards complying with actual ID requirements to arrive early at the airport and prepare for advanced screenings to avoid delays.
The new requirements have been the subject of discussion among many Reddit threads and Facebook groups in recent weeks, with many people expressing confusion about whether they can travel without a real ID, sharing details about their wait times and asking for advice on how to meet their requirements.
Noem told the Congressional panel that 81% of travelers already have real IDs. She said security checkpoints will also accept passports and tribal identification, as they have already done.
Those who still lack the identification that complies with the actual ID Act “can be diverted to another line and there are extra steps,” Noem said.
“But people are allowed to fly,” she said. “We’ll make sure it’s as seamless as possible.”
A Real ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that states that Homeland Security is a safer form of identification. This is a recommendation by the 9/11 committee and was signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008, but implementation was repeatedly delayed.
¨The whole idea here is to better examine the individuals who have come across checkpoints and make sure they are who they say they are,” said Thomas Carter, TSA Federal Security Director for New Jersey.
Carter said people without real IDs should give themselves extra time to clear security.
“If they do, I don’t believe this will take that extra time and people will miss their flight,” he said.
In addition to acting as an effective form of identification for flying within the country, people need an actual ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.
State agencies that issue driver’s licenses and state IDs have seen significant increases in demand for actual IDs, with some people extending their opening hours to meet the demand. Some officials recommend waiting a while to obtain a license and card that is based on your actual ID if your flight is not planned in the coming months.
“We encourage people who have passports and other documents that comply with their actual IDs and those who have no travel plans for the coming months, who do not have travel plans until the current Rush waits until they apply for their actual ID,” said Erin Johnson, spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.
Johnson said the department has seen a significant increase in demand for actual IDs in recent weeks. In February, there were over 48,000 applications in their actual IDs. It almost doubled the 99,000 in April, she said.
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