As Americans scramble to get their REAL IDs, passports, and other federally recognized identification before the May 7 deadline, Homeland Security officials are now saying not to worry—at least not yet.
In a congressional hearing Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers that travelers without a REAL ID—or another compliant form of identification like a passport—“will be allowed to fly” as long as they submit to additional screening.
“What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the line and … show [their ID]” said. “If it’s not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly.”
Agency officials said that roughly 81% of U.S. travelers already carry a compliant ID. If a driver’s license qualifies, it’ll typically have a black or gold star in the top right corner. Other acceptable forms include a Department of Defense ID, a Global Entry card, a green card, or a passport.
If travelers show up at airport checkpoints without one of these, they may face delays but not a full travel ban.
“We will make sure it’s as seamless as possible,” Noem said.
REAL ID was originally set to be required at airports, military bases, and secure federal buildings, like courthouses, beginning Wednesday. The policy, recommended by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005, has been postponed repeatedly, most recently by former President Joe Biden, who extended the deadline for enforcement to May 7, 2025. And now it’s already showing signs of unraveling.
So it’s fair to ask: What’s the point?
You don’t need a REAL ID to drive, open a bank accountor vote. And despite years of planning, the rollout has been a mess.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has far more urgent aviation problems. Just last week, air traffic controllers briefly lost radar and radio contact with planes headed to Newark Liberty International Airport, triggering days of flight delays and cancellations.
Beyond that, the Trump administration has no clear plan for fixing mounting air traffic control failures other than finger-pointing at Biden.
The REAL ID program has also drawn criticism from civil rights groups who warn that it will create a de facto national ID system by forcing states to share personal data with the federal government.
On Tuesday, Noem notably gave no timeline for when non-compliant IDs will be fully rejected.
And applying for a REAL ID isn’t exactly easy. At a minimum, applicants must provide a document showing their full legal name and date of birth, proof of address—via utility bill or bank statement—and documents verifying their identity and legal status, like a birth certificate or passport. All for a document that may or may not be required at the airport starting today.
Officials admit the rollout has caused confusion and could slow airport security lines, and TSA is now recommending that anyone traveling with only a standard driver’s license allow an extra hour to get through screening.
Just more bureaucratic red tape, less clarity, and still no sign that this actually makes flying safer.
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