Beginning in 2016, individuals from New York, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Louisiana, and American Samoa will no longer be able to board a domestic commercial flight with just their driver’s licenses as proof of identification. According to the Department of Homeland Security, Real ID is a coordinated effort to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification.
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“The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards”, the DHS states.
The Real ID Act – a plan set forth by the Department of Homeland Security in 2013 – has one crucial element that could roll out as early as next year.
According to ABC News, an extension may be granted to passengers from non-compliant states and territories.
The process of acquiring an EDL requires a visit to the Department of Motor Vehicles where you complete forms and pay.
Here’s the breakdown: if you’re from one of these states, “acceptable” IDs include passports and passport cards, as well as permanent resident cards, USA military ID, and DHS trusted traveler cards such a Global Entry and NEXUS. An additional bonus, EDL holders can travel by land or by sea to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda without a passport.
But phase four touches federally regulated aircraft and therefore will affect millions of people.
“Instead of having to make a family of four go out and spend $600 on passports, they can get a Real ID compliant license”, Packard said.
“‘If the rest of the world is doing it, I don’t see the objection Louisiana and the state of New York should have with it, ‘ Vincent Serio added”. Applicants do not have to have a passport to receive a passport card, making it a lower-cost alternative to a passport. “We have no reason to believe that any New Yorker will have a problem using their current state-issued ID card to get on a plane come January 2016”.
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The Port Authority of New York, which runs busy airports like LaGuardia and JFK, also would not talk about the possible disruption.
