What Happens if You Try To Fly Without a REAL ID?

On August 19, 2025, three months after the Department of Homeland Security began enforcing the new REAL ID requirements for domestic air travel, I found myself in a long, serpentine security line at Newark Liberty International Airport, bound for Chicago. Earlier in the year, I’d renewed my driver’s license and opted for a New York Enhanced ID — a REAL ID-compliant license with the added perk of letting me cross into Canada or Mexico without a passport.

After 30 minutes of winding through a wildly inventive makeshift line, I approached the TSA officer and handed over my license. I said, “Good morning,” in a cheerful tone, but instead of a verbal response, the officer handed me a red slip of paper. It was about the size of a pocket notebook, and in large, white letters, it informed me that the ID I had presented was “not REAL ID-compliant.” Just as confused as I was? Here’s what to do if this happens to you.

Why the REAL ID Act Exists

First, you’re forgiven for wondering where this whole REAL ID thing came from. After all, when the effort to standardize a state-issued form of identification for boarding a flight began in 2005 in response to the 9/11 attacks, we weren’t carrying smartphones in our pockets, Myspace was the primary social media platform, and my beloved Philadelphia Eagles hadn’t yet won a Super Bowl. (They’ve since won two — go Birds!) 

Pushback and funding issues led to a series of extensions. States only began adopting the measure in 2012, with Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Ohio, and South Dakota as the first to receive certification. It took another eight years for the rest of the states to follow suit. Even then, we waited an additional four years for all the territories to do the same. To give the public sufficient lead time to update their IDs, enforcement began in May of this year.

It’s the Newark security line of regulations — long, chaotic, yet somehow progressing.

So, What Happens if You Try To Fly Without One?

When I asked why I received the sheet of paper, I was told that my driver’s license did not have a star in the upper right corner, the mark of a REAL ID-compliant license. I mentioned mine had a flag in its place because it was an Enhanced ID, which I thought was sufficient. 

“You need a star,” the officer responded. 

That the red slip of paper clearly stated I should look “for a star or U.S. flag” (emphasis, mine) was something I guess the officer missed. But figuring a drawn-out argument would do more harm than good, I acquiesced. 

“OK, so what should I do now?” I asked, imagining myself trudging back to the short-term parking lot and abandoning my travel plans altogether. The officer told me to get my ID updated soon, and then waved me on. 

“That’s it?” I responded. 

Apparently, it was. It seemed a sort of grace period was quietly adopted for travelers who didn’t heed the warnings of the REAL ID marketing blitz that took place in the lead-up to enforcement. 

Out of curiosity, I asked what would happen if I tried to fly again without a REAL ID. I was told they’d pull me aside for questioning. How long said questioning would take and whether or not I’d be in danger of not being allowed through security, the officer wouldn’t say. The note itself says nothing about the potential of being denied boarding; instead, it warns that should I try again without an acceptable form of identification, I should “expect delays.”

When Will the Grace Period End?

What will happen if you, too, try to catch a flight without a REAL ID? I don’t imagine the TSA is eager to print warning slips forever, nor do I think they’re thrilled about conducting a never-ending parade of interviews, so there’s probably a window in which a loose-leaf slap on the wrist is all that comes from your transgression. Still, that likely won’t last forever. 

If you have an Enhanced ID from one of the five states currently issuing them — Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington —  you can look to the TSA’s frequently asked questions about REAL IDs. The website says, “State-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses and identification cards (EDL/EID) are designated as acceptable border-crossing documents by DHS under the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative and are an acceptable alternative to a REAL ID for boarding a commercial aircraft.”

If you haven’t upgraded yet to a REAL ID or Enhanced ID, there are other identification documents you can use to board a domestic flight, including your passport, passport card, or Global Entry card.

Featured image credit: Jeff Greenberg/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images