REAL ID requirements to travel by air in 2016?

[jjordan]

I just saw this article saying that NYS driver's licenses do not have enough security features to be used for air travel starting sometime in 2016. Apparently the security features were upgraded 2 years ago but still aren't enough. Has anyone in other states seen similar information? I'm wondering if NYS is the odd man out here or if it's going to be a widespread problem.

NYS does have an "enhanced driver's license" option (that costs more money) that will be sufficient. But lots of NYS drivers don't have that.

 

[LISmama810]

I've heard the same for Illinois, and I believe there were several other states. I forget whether I read about a solution or not.

 

[1mommy]

Odd because I read an article on man who lost his license and used his Facebook page as ID. Yep... You read that right, apparently your FB page is a valid form of ID for air travel now...

http://www.ibtimes.com.au/can-your-facebook-profile-help-you-airline-travel-1327707

 

[BananaBoat]

I find that odd since kids don't need any ID at all to fly domestically. We bring passports no matter where we fly so I think the whole thing is weird.

 

[kathysr98]

Odd because I read an article on man who lost his license and used his Facebook page as ID. Yep... You read that right, apparently your FB page is a valid form of ID for air travel now... http://www.ibtimes.com.au/can-your-facebook-profile-help-you-airline-travel-1327707

I've seen more than more person who lacked appropriate ID spend time convincing a TSA Agent of their identity. It usually involves lots of circumstantial evidence adding up. I can see a FB page helping with that if the person had lots of non-photo ID.

 

[jjordan]

Odd because I read an article on man who lost his license and used his Facebook page as ID. Yep... You read that right, apparently your FB page is a valid form of ID for air travel now...

http://www.ibtimes.com.au/can-your-facebook-profile-help-you-airline-travel-1327707

Wow, that's crazy!

I find that odd since kids don't need any ID at all to fly domestically. We bring passports no matter where we fly so I think the whole thing is weird.

Yeah, kids need nothing, not even proof that they're a kid. So, basically any 20-something could just insist that they're 17 and get on a plane without ID, right?

 

[jasminegrl]

Its apparently not just NY state that is having a problem, here is a list of all the states and if they are compliant or have an extension. I'm not too worried about it, I have a passport and military ID which are both accepted by tsa and even if i don't have my passport on me I always have my military id.

http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-enforcement-brief

 

[rin2809]

I find out interesting that MN is on the noncompliant list. Starting this year, they are offering the addition of passport functionality that allows them to be used for land border crossings in place of a passport. Can't imagine it wouldn't be sufficient for airline travel within the US.

 

[sm1982]

I find out interesting that MN is on the noncompliant list. Starting this year, they are offering the addition of passport functionality that allows them to be used for land border crossings in place of a passport. Can't imagine it wouldn't be sufficient for airline travel within the US.

NY has that as well, here they call it an enhanced driver's license. That will be accepted, but the standard driver's licenses will not be. Even if the enhances became standard, they'll run into problems with people who aren't up for renewals and still have older licenses.

 

[Nedra]

I've seen more than more person who lacked appropriate ID spend time convincing a TSA Agent of their identity. It usually involves lots of circumstantial evidence adding up. I can see a FB page helping with that if the person had lots of non-photo ID.

Bill Bryson had a story about this in one of his books. Apparently he was flying somewhere just after ID started being required (this was a long time ago -- a story in one of his older books) and he didn't have any ID with him. He had an expired driver's license and a bunch of credit cards and finally remembered that he had a copy of one of his books with his photo on the book jacket. They still weren't accepting it and he said something to the effect of, "Really, do you think I had this book specially printed just to get on a plane to Buffalo?"