Brooklyn, are your REAL ID ready?
A REAL ID is a federally compliant, state Department of Motor Vehicle-issued driver's license, learner's permit or non-driver ID that will be required to board a domestic flight (within the U.S.) or enter certain federal buildings starting on May 7, 2025, unless you have a valid passport.
How do you know if you already have a REAL ID or not? If your New York State license or ID does not have a star or a flag on it, then you do not have a REAL ID-compliant document, according to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website.
If you cannot get a REAL ID in time for your domestic flight, New Yorkers can use their passport as proof of identification.
Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID, will be notified of their non-compliance and may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening, according to the TSA website. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers.
The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening.
You will not be allowed to enter the security checkpoint if you choose to not provide acceptable identification, you decline to cooperate with the identity verification process, or your identity cannot be confirmed, the TSA website says.
Children under the age of 18 are not required to produce ID while traveling within the U.S.
New Yorkers who seek a REAL ID must get one through a DMV office. For a step-by-step process, click here.
To watch a video about the REAL ID process at the DMV, click here.
