The deadline to upgrade to a Real ID-compliant card, before Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents begin requiring them at the airport, has now passed.
The Real ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, took effect on Wednesday morning as uncertainty mounts about whether Americans can still travel domestically, even without a compliant ID.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and other department officials are seeking to clarify the confusion around the requirement.
Noem said during a House subcommittee hearing on Tuesday that travelers who lack a Real ID card and have flights Wednesday still will be able to get to their destination, but they will face some extra steps along the way.
“What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line, and [they] 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,” the DHS chief told lawmakers.
A senior DHS official said passengers who did not obtain a Real ID and lack alternatives, such as a passport, while being screened by TSA will be “notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening.”
“TSA 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,” the official said Tuesday in a statement.
The 2005 legislation was passed to boost national security, setting requirements for what information citizens have to give to the state before obtaining a form of identification, including a driver’s license.
The Real IDs are issued in all 50 states, five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C. Passengers can visit the Department of Motor Vehicles to retrieve the cards.
The demand for Real IDs has gone up in recent days, with state government offices expanding their office hours to satisfy the need.
“We are encouraging people who have passports or other REAL ID-compliant documents and people who don’t have travel plans in the next few months to wait until after the current rush to apply for a REAL ID,” Erin Johnson, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, told The Associated Press.