Here’s How You Can Still Fly Without a REAL ID

After numerous delays, the REAL ID deadline is here. And if your state ID or driver’s license isn’t compliant, you might not be able to pass a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint to board a flight.

If you don’t have an acceptable identification card or driver’s license from your state, can you still fly after the May 7 REAL ID requirement? Possibly.

Here’s how you can fly without a REAL ID from your state.

REAL ID Act Goes Into Effect

The TSA says over 80% of “travelers at TSA checkpoints nationwide present an acceptable identification including a state-issued REAL ID.” While that’s a majority of people, that still means nearly 1 in 5 people don’t have a compliant state identification.

The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and sets minimum standards for state-issued ID and driver’s licenses at the federal level. Elevated security standards and increased documentation requirements to prove where you live go into the process of getting a REAL ID, and this repeatedly delayed requirement went into effect today, May 7, 2025.

Along with REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards bearing a star in the corner, the Department of Homeland Security says that enhanced driver’s licenses, or EDLs, issued by Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont are acceptable for REAL ID purposes. Instead of a star, EDLs may feature a U.S. flag symbol on the front.

Can You Travel Without a REAL ID?

But what if you don’t have a driver’s license or state ID with the star indicating it’s a REAL ID (or an EDL with a flag)? Can you still fly?

The TSA has a process to verify your identity without identification, in case you arrive without a REAL ID — or without any ID — but there’s no guarantee, and the process can create delays. When my wife lost her driver’s license during a trip, she spent at least 15 minutes answering questions to confirm her identity and couldn’t use the TSA PreCheck line. The process would’ve been more difficult if she didn’t have credit cards bearing her name and a picture of her passport on her phone.

However, the TSA has this warning on its website:

“Passengers who do not yet have their REAL ID or another TSA acceptable form of ID can expect to face delays, additional screening, and the possibility of not being allowed into the security checkpoint. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers.”

The agency has also started placing signs with this messaging at airports.

Travelers who aren’t aware of the requirements or don’t realize their identification isn’t a REAL ID may still arrive at the airport and may create delays by holding up the line as they search for documents or argue with TSA officials. If you can avoid traveling in the first week after the new requirements, it’s not a bad idea until things calm down. If not, using TSA PreCheck or CLEAR Plus lanes may reduce wait times.

Other Documents That Meet REAL ID Requirements

If your state ID isn’t REAL ID-compliant and lengthy waits made you unable to get one before the deadline, you have other options for boarding a flight. These documents are acceptable alternatives, according to the TSA:

• State-issued enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or enhanced ID (EID)
• U.S. passport or passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
• U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized tribal nation or Indian tribe, including enhanced tribal cards (ETCs)
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential
• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employment authorization card (I-766)
• U.S. Merchant Mariner credential
• Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

Final Thoughts

Now that the new rules are in place, arriving early at the airport for the next week or so isn’t a bad idea. Wait times may be longer as people present insufficient identification, argue with TSA agents, and hold up the line.

If you don’t have a REAL ID from your state, you can travel with other documents.

If you don’t have any of those and need to travel, arrive even earlier at the airport with the identification you have, any supporting documents to prove your identity, and then prepare for extra questioning. However, remember that there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to board a flight if you don’t have REAL ID-compliant form of identification.