Air travelers will have until 2023 to become compliant with Real ID, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The deadline, previously scheduled for Oct. 1 of this year, will reportedly be pushed back to May 3, 2023, 19 months, due to the pandemic, officials with knowledge of the plans told NBC News.
EASTER BRINGS BUSIEST TRAVEL WEEKEND SINCE START OF PANDEMIC
“Extending the Real ID full enforcement deadline will give states needed time to reopen their driver’s licensing operations and ensure their residents can obtain a Real ID-compliant license or identification card,” DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said
Without identification that adheres to the new standard after the deadline, passengers will be unable to enter the Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints required to board a plane. Travelers can show their passports instead if their driver’s licenses are not compliant with Real ID.
The Real ID Act, passed in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.” Applicants must provide their social security numbers in order to obtain Real IDs, which have a star in the upper right-hand corner to signal compliance.
The deadline has been delayed repeatedly over the course of more than a decade due to states claiming they were unable to meet the necessary requirements.
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Air travel decreased substantially throughout 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Data from the TSA show that 4,522,217 travelers passed through airport checkpoints Friday through Sunday of Easter weekend. The last time total travelers surpassed that number was the weekend of March 6-8, 2020, which saw nearly 5.9 million travelers.
Representatives for DHS did not immediately reply to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
