Airline travelers who don’t have a REAL ID, a compliant driver license, by the May 7 deadline will still be allowed to fly—but only after undergoing further scrutiny.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers Tuesday about the change.
“What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line, and will issue their ID and show it. If it’s not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly,” she told the House Appropriations Subcommittee, the Associated Press reported.
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It’s unclear how long this grace period will last.
In a statement to the Daily Beast, a senior DHS official said that the Transportation Security Administration “will enforce REAL ID and ensure there is no impact to wait times or TSA screening applications, especially for those passengers who are prepared with their REAL ID, passport or other acceptable form of ID.”
“Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening,” the official added.
Congress passed the Real ID Act in 2005 after the 9/11 Commission made recommendations to improve national security.
“We recognize that this is a security issue,” Noem said Tuesday. “Congress has had many, many years to reevaluate it and decide if they wanted to change the law or to stop it, and the Biden administration chose that it should go into place on May 7.”
The requirement for a REAL ID to board domestic flights and enter certain federal buildings was set to take effect on Jan. 7, 2021. It was first pushed back to May 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then again to Wednesday.
Despite the years-long delay in enforcement, increased demand for REAL IDs in recent days spurred Department of Motor Vehicle offices nationwide to extend their hours.
Noem said Tuesday that 81 percent of air travelers are REAL ID-compliant.
“We intend to follow the law, so we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible, and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary,” she said. “But we are telling people that this law will be enforced, and it will allow us to know individuals in this country, who they are and that they’re authorized to travel.”
Travelers without a REAL ID can still fly with a valid passport.
