We’ve reported in the past that lines at TSA PreCheck might be getting shorter and faster, because they were cracking down on allowing low risk people who had never gone through the PreCheck process to get PreCheck status, More recently, the regular TSA line had the potential to become a little shorter too, because more airlines were being added to TSA Pre-Check.
Unfortunately, the news for all of us, TSA PreCheck or not, just got a little worse – both lines most likely are about to slow down a little. Why?
Real I.D.
After yet another extension for the states that couldn’t get their respective acts together, it was decided in early 2018 that starting on Oct. 1, 2020, every adult boarding any federally regulated aircraft — including domestic flights — will need a Real ID-compliant state government-issued license, or be forced to show an alternate form of ID (such as a passport, passport card, permanent resident card, U.S. Military I.D., etc.).
The Transportation Security Administration has now instituted a new policy requiring its agents who check photo I.D.s at airports to verbally advise travelers without Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses that they’ll have to have one by that October 2020 deadline.
“The security requirements of the REAL ID Act are an important step in enhancing commercial aviation security,” said TSA Acting Deputy Administrator Patricia Cogswell. “REAL ID implementation is a little more than a year away – now is the time to prepare.”
This spiel has the potential to slow the line by a few seconds per adult from the states whose I.D. is not yet REAL ID compliant. How much time that will take up for everyone in line will undoubtedly vary depending on the length of the line and the number of people on that line whose IDs are still not compliant.
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This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
8 comments
“hey your ID won’t work after next year, get it fixed” 1 to 2 seconds. I’d vote for just handing them a card that tells them this but I don’t want the government to print those at $5 each 🙂
Yeah, I don’t expect it would take much time per person, except for the ones who would want to make a conversation about it. And a couple of seconds in, let’s say, Oregon, which still isn’t Real ID compliant (or OMG….NJ! And EWR is horrific enough as it is) and all those “couple of seconds” could really start to add up.
TSA has had signs up about Real ID for a while now. But yeah, those little cards would be a waste, I think.
Informing them REAL ID compliant is not going to take a lot of time. But I do expect a lot of people will follow up with questions that will take time to answer. This is especially true if they don’t travel frequently and never heard of REAL ID.
100% agreed
I’d be down for TSA agents recognizing that my (Real ID compliant) driver’s license from the District of Columbia is actually valid ID and that I’m not from Colombia in South America.
LOLOL, OMG, that’s crazy. I’m so sorry….
The real ID process is so screwed up in CA, whether you “pass” is highly dependent upon the mood of the DMV worker at whatever dysfunctional office. Mine didn’t even check my documents – I’m not kidding.
Would it be easier to just show my passport first rather than a non Real-ID compliant license and given the speech when travelling domestic? Then again, I have a feeling the agents would question why I’m showing my US passport when traveling within the US.