Not Enough To Board: Will Your Driver's License Get You On An Airplane?

By Eric Kiefer

Four states currently have driver’s licenses that may soon be insufficient to get their residents on an airplane.

But there could potentially be more to come, including New Jersey.

As of Wednesday, New York, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Louisiana driver’s licenses do not meet standards established by the Homeland Security department under the latest phase of the federal Real ID Act of 2005, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

While New Jersey and several other states currently have an extension to the law – meaning that their residents’ driver’s licenses will continue to be acceptable - such extensions eventually end.

For example, New Hampshire currently has an “expired extension” to the law, and their driver’s licenses will be subject to enforcement beginning Jan. 19, the DHS states.

“States and other jurisdictions have made significant progress in enhancing the security of their licenses over the last number of years,” the DHS states on their website. “As a result, approximately 70 to 80 percent of all U.S. drivers hold licenses from jurisdictions determined to meet the [Real ID] Act’s standards or that have received extensions.”

“Individuals holding driver’s licenses or identification cards from these jurisdiction may continue to use them as before,” the DHS adds.

However:

“Individuals holding licenses from noncompliant jurisdictions will need to follow alternative access control procedures for purposes covered by the Act.”

Enforcement for boarding aircraft will occur no sooner than 2016, the DHS states.

OTHER ACCEPTABLE FORMS OF ID

According to the Transportation Security Administration, acceptable forms of identification include:

• Driver’s licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
• U.S. passport
• U.S. passport card
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• U.S. military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DoD civilians)
• Permanent resident card
• Border crossing card
• DHS-designated enhanced driver’s license
• Airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
• HSPD-12 PIV card
• Foreign government-issued passport
• Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
• Transportation worker identification credential

But even if your driver’s license proves to be unacceptable, it doesn’t mean that you’ll necessarily miss your flight, according to the TSA.

“In the event you arrive at the airport without proper ID, because it is lost or at home, you may still be allowed to fly,” the TSA states. “By providing additional information, TSA has other ways to confirm your identity, like using publicly available databases, so you can reach your flight.”