Travel Tips
Travel Tip: Not All Driver’s Licenses May Be Accepted at Airports
Most of us traveling within the U.S. have done so under the assumption that our driver’s license is an acceptable form of government ID for airport security.
It’s all about a ten-year-old federal law called the Real ID Act, which instructed states to adopt stricter restrictions for state-issued ID cards.
Not every state complied.
Right now 23 states are fully compliant, and 19 have been granted extensions through October of this year.
But if you’re a resident of Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Washington, or American Samoa, you might have a problem.
So, if you have another form of ID while you’re traveling—such as a valid U.S. passport—you might want to bring it the next time—until your state is in compliance.
For more information about air travel and official documentation, check out:
- What You Need to Know About Your Passport & Visas
- How to Expedite Your Passport
- Why You Need to Hold On to Your Boarding Pass
- New Technology at Airports for Check-In & Customs
Keep reading for more travel tips.