ROMULUS, Mich. (WXYZ) — After years of delays, the Real ID Act will finally be enforced across the country starting May 7, making it more difficult to pass through TSA checkpoints without proper identification.
WATCH OUR FULL REPORT BELOW
The Real ID requirement, which features a star in the upper right-hand corner of compliant IDs, will be mandatory for domestic air travel and accessing certain federal government buildings.
"Real ID was actually a recommendation that came out of the 9/11 Commission. We have 50 states issuing 50 different licenses and we want to have one national baseline set of security standards," said Jessica Mayle, a regional spokesperson for TSA.
Mayle explained that travelers without a Real ID, enhanced license, U.S. passport or other forms of acceptable identification, could face challenges at the airport.
"If the answer is no to all of those: I don't have a passport, I don't have a Real ID and I have a trip coming up, at that point, we would say expect that you could face extra screening, you could face delays and you could face the possibility of not making it through the checkpoint," Mayle said.
Currently, about 75% of Michigan residents are meeting Real ID requirements, while nationwide compliance reaches 81%.
"That other 19%, maybe they do have passports or they have something else that would work, they just weren't using it yet because the deadline isn't in place yet. I think after May 7, we'll see where we are," Mayle said.
At Detroit Metro Airport, many travelers indicated they're already prepared for the deadline.
"I've had it for a few years actually. When I got my driver's license, they just offered and I accepted it," Ricardo Zamora said.
"They said do you want to do an enhanced ID, which is a little bit more expensive, but it means that I don't have to go back to the DMV until 2033, and I said sign me up," Kyle Ewalt said.
However, some travelers are still working to become compliant. Akelah Hightower, a traveler from Albany, Georgia, who attends college in Toledo, Ohio, explained her situation.
"I'm 14 hours away from home, so I would have go to my local DMV in Albany in order to go get it," Hightower said.
She plans to update her ID soon.
"As soon as I'm home and I'm safe and sound, I will be glad to go to my local DMV and go grab it," Hightower said.
For those not yet Real ID compliant, Mayle recommends planning ahead.
"Not everyone's going to be flying on May 7, but kind of think of when is my next trip planned and do I have something to take care of before then," Mayle said.
————
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
