Real ID requirements in effect today

[antmaril]

I flew from DTW to LAS on the first day of the Real ID requirement (May 7th) and flew home Sunday night. There was absolutely no delay when going through security. Also, no separate lines. It was business as usual.

 

[bcla]

Whether a foreign national needs to have a passport or a green card available "at all times" is an important question but not relevant to this thread. We're discussing TSA requirements. If someone is heading to an airport, they will make sure they have with them an appropriate identification document, which may be something they don't carry every day.


Yeah, that decision sucks. I wonder what their (legislature?) thinking was.

A green card is supposed to be carried by an adult permanent resident at all times, although I do understand that's not necessarily a thing. For that matter my reading of the law is that any "adult alien" is supposed to have whatever alien registration document, including international students, refugees, temporary workers, etc. This has often been poorly enforced, where I've heard that a lot of immigration attorneys counseled their clients to just make a photocopy of those documents to keep with them so as to reduce the chance of losing them, even though the law specifically required the originals be in one's possession.

(e) Personal possession of registration or receipt card; penalties​

Every alien, eighteen years of age and over, shall at all times carry with him and have in his personal possession any certificate of alien registration or alien registration receipt card issued to him pursuant to subsection (d). Any alien who fails to comply with the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall upon conviction for each offense be fined not to exceed $100 or be imprisoned not more than thirty days, or both.​

As far as Washington state goes, I think it's more to do with the cost of implementation. As someone seemed to hint, the extra money they're charging for enhanced DL/ID could probably cover some of the costs. But Real ID generally doesn't cost any more to the resident.

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattl...es-reality-wa-wait-times-stretch-really-long/​

As of January 2024, about 23% of Washington driver’s licenses and IDs were enhanced (about 1.56 million ID cards). By May 1, the percentage had risen to 29%, with 1.96 million Washingtonians holding an enhanced driver’s license or enhanced ID, including 30% of King County residents.​

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The DOL issued nearly 93,000 enhanced documents in April 2025, a record for a single month, Wieman said. It shattered the prior record of 58,000, set in March.​

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Still, the total number of Washington IDs bearing a mark that says “Federal limits apply” — restricting domestic air travel without another form of Real ID — has hovered around 5 million for the past two years.​

 

[sam_gordon]

I flew from DTW to LAS on the first day of the Real ID requirement (May 7th) and flew home Sunday night. There was absolutely no delay when going through security. Also, no separate lines. It was business as usual.

Did you have a Real ID (whether DL, passport, or other)?

 

[SC Minnie]

I flew from CLT to ORD last Wednesday morning (first day of the Real ID) with no issues. I have my Real ID and Precheck. I was thru security in less than 3 min.

I got my Real ID a couple of years ago. Made an appt, brought the docs they required and was in and out in less than 20 min,.