What ID do you need to fly?
What’s in your wallet? The identification card you’re carrying could mean the difference between you boarding your plane or not.
A U.S. passport is always acceptable, whether you’re traveling abroad or within the U.S. and its territories. But Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) rules are changing for domestic travel.
What you’ll learn:
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A Real ID is an identification card that complies with the Real ID Act of 2005.
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TSA will require a Real ID to travel starting May 7, 2025, meaning your driver’s license must be Real ID-compliant for you to board domestic flights.
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A marking on driver’s licenses indicates whether they’re a Real ID.
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Local Departments of Motor Vehicles should be able to issue Real ID driver’s licenses.
What ID do I need to fly domestically?
Travelers currently can present a state-issued driver’s license to board a plane for a domestic flight, but that will change in May 2025. TSA will require IDs that meet the Real ID Act specifications.
What do you do if your driver’s license isn’t Real ID-compliant? You can present a passport or other Real ID-compliant form of identification.
What ID do I need to fly internationally?
TSA won’t accept a driver’s license to board an international flight. That’s whether it’s Real ID-compliant or not. The ID requirements to travel abroad include a U.S. passport.
Depending on your destination, you also may need a visa.
What is a Real ID?
A Real ID is an identification card that complies with a law Congress passed in 2005.
The Real ID Act was intended to enhance national security by requiring stricter standards to get a driver’s license and other identification.
When do you need a Real ID?
For now, a Real ID will be required to fly domestically starting May 7, 2025. But the Real ID deadline has been delayed many times.
When the deadline has passed, TSA says anyone 18 and older must present a Real ID or acceptable alternative in order to:
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Board a domestic flight
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Access certain federal government facilities
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Enter a nuclear power plant
Can you use a passport instead of a Real ID?
Yes. You only need to present one form of identification to board a plane. If you’re traveling within the U.S., you can present a passport, a Real ID or another acceptable alternative.
How do you get a Real ID?
All 50 states, five U.S. territories and Washington, D.C., issue Real ID driver’s licenses. They may have different requirements, so check with your DMV to learn what documents it wants to see. Many typically require proof of your:
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Full legal name
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Date of birth
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Social Security number
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Address
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Lawful status
How do you know if your driver’s license is a Real ID?
In the top-right corner of your driver’s license, is there a gold bear, a gold or blue star, or a white star inside a gold or blue circle? Then you might have a Real ID.
If not, then it’s not Real ID compliant. And depending on timing, you may not be able to use it to prove your identity to fly.
If you are not sure, ask your state motor vehicles department if you have a Real ID.
Do you need a Real ID if you have TSA PreCheck®?
Once the Real ID deadline hits, travelers will be required to have a Real ID-compliant form of identification to board a domestic or international flight, even if they are enrolled in TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry.
Will minors need a Real ID to travel?
For domestic travel, TSA does not require any ID for children under 18 who are traveling with an adult companion. That will not change when the Real ID rules take effect.
For international travel, children under 18 must present a passport or acceptable alternative. Depending on the destination, children could need a visa or other travel documents.
Key takeaways: What ID do you need to fly?
Real ID travel requirements are scheduled to go into effect starting in May 2025. If you’re traveling, it’s helpful to be aware of the new rules.
It could also be helpful to have a travel credit card that can take you further and reward you for purchases.
