New identification requirements are being implemented for federal facilities in early May that could impact some travelers’ ability to board planes or enter airport screening checkpoints.
Passengers for domestic flights will be required to present Real ID’s or other accepted identification to pass through TSA screenings beginning May 7, according to Durango-La Plata County Airport.
The new requirement is being implemented nationwide two decades after Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 enacting minimum security standards for issuing identification cards such as driver’s licenses.
DRO Aviation Director Tony Vicari said the act was a product of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Despite Congress passing it in 2005, it has taken a “long national process” for states to align their licensing processes with federal standards.
“This has been pushed back multiple times in the last five years. There were prior deadlines that were established but were ultimately not enforced because individual state licensing processes just weren't ready for it,” he said.
Though the impending requirement is new, Real ID’s have been standard issue in Colorado since July 2013, said Jennifer Giambi, Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles spokeswoman.
Real ID’s are verifiable by gold or black star marks on their top right corners. The DMV said gold stars were part of an old design used before 2020 when black stars were adopted.
Giambi said Colorado has followed Real ID requirements since 2009, became officially certified in 2012 and began issuing Real ID’s in 2013. She said everyone eligible for a Real ID under Colorado law should already have credentials – indicated by the star on the driver’s license or card.
U.S. citizens, permanent residents and citizens of the “Freely Associated States” or Pacific Island nations of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau are eligible for Real ID’s, she said.
She said those who moved to Colorado from another state or changed their lawful status must visit a driver’s license office with appropriate documents in hand within 30 days of becoming a resident.
Airport operators and the Transportation Security Administration aren’t sure what level of noncompliance to expect on May 7 and the days afterward, Vicari said. But lacking a Real ID doesn’t necessarily mean one will be denied their flight.
What it could mean is lengthy delays while TSA performs alternative identify verification processes, he said.
“I don't think anyone has a true understanding of the (potential level) of folks coming through that don't have Real ID’s and what those lines might look like,” he said.
He said one person who requires alternative identification probably won’t hold up the TSA for very long. But 50 people requiring alternative identification could create substantial delays.
DRO recommends passengers arrive at least 90 minutes prior to their departure. Vicari said if someone is traveling without a Real ID, he or she should bring another acceptable form of identification such as a valid U.S. passport. If a person doesn’t have a Real ID or another form of identification, he or she should plan to arrive at least two hours ahead of their flight to ensure ample time to get through security.
He said May 7 and the following days will likely be a learning period for every airport nationwide as the extent of noncompliant identification is realized.
“Everyone's crossing their fingers that the adoption rates are quite high and we'll see minimal impact – small numbers of individuals that need that additional identity verification process,” he said. “But we'll find out on May 7 and a few dates after that.”
cburney@durangoherald.com
