Most Americans may not have the right driver's license or identity card to pass through airport security when new Real ID requirements go into effect October 1, the U.S. Travel Association warned.
The Real ID Act was passed in the wake of 9/11 after several of the hijackers improperly obtained state IDs. A compliant Real ID, which has a star symbol at the top of the card, will be required to board a plane, enter a federal building or a military base. Passports, military IDs or Global Entry cards also will qualify to get through airport security.
Only about three in 10 Americans have a Real ID. Many states have been slow to implement them.
The Real ID licenses require extra documentation, causing some to make multiple trips to the DMV. You need a valid ID, passport or birth certificate, proof of your Social Security number and date of birth and two items proving state residency.
TSA officers at airports nationwide are now warning flyers they won't be able to get to their flights come next October unless they update their IDs, and states are urging people to do it now.
