Travelers in some states may need passport to fly in US
Residents in nine states may soon have to be armed with their passport to check in for domestic flights.
The REAL ID deadline for states to issue TSA compliant ID passed although it has been extended to January 22, 2018.
The nine states are Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Washington.
The nine are unlikely to be ready, although South Carolina expects to be able to issue compliant IDs within the first quarter of 2018.
These states up to now do not issue a state ID or driver’s licenses that meets the minimum security requirements, according to the REAL ID Act.
That means from January 22, all air passengers who have non-compliant driver’s licenses in states that have not received an additional negotiated extension will have to show their passport or an alternative form of valid identification to fly.
According to the TSA, other forms of ID acceptable include a U.S. military ID and Permanent resident cards.
Homeland Security says REAL ID is a ‘coordinated effort by the states and the Federal Government to improve the reliability and accuracy of state-issued identification documents, which should inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.’
REAL ID came into force in 2005 and has been implemented slowly in gradual phases with the January 22 deadline isupposedly the final step.
States have been slow to react after opposing it for years over privacy issues and federal overreach while some states have baulked at the cost of implementation.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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