U.S. Explains What Happens If You Don't Have a REAL ID at the Airport
So, the REAL ID date arrived on May 7, 2025, but what happens if you don't have a REAL ID at the airport?
Expect delays, but you should still be able to fly.
That's according to The Associated Press, which reported that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that people without a REAL ID will "be able to fly after additional identity checks," even after May 7's deadline.
According to The AP, the day before the deadline hit, concerned travelers were spotted "waiting in long lines" at government buildings throughout the U.S. "trying to update their IDs" to be REAL ID-compliant.
Noem told Congress that 81% of travelers have already obtained IDs that meet the requirements of REAL ID. "She said security checkpoints will also be accepting passports and tribal identification" as an alternative after May 7, AP reported.
People who don't have compliant identification, though, “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step,” Noem said, according to the AP.
“But people will be allowed to fly,” she said.
“We will make sure that it is as seamless as possible and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary,” Noem said, according to The New York Times. “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 are authorized to travel.”
The REAL ID enforcement deadline was extended several times in the past, The New York Times reported. However, it's now arrived.
The U.S. government previously released a list of REAL ID alternatives that will be accepted at airports.