For those who are planning to travel by plane this holiday season, more than a ticket will be needed to board. Travelers now need a REAL ID-compliant identification to board a federally regulated commercial aircraft, or face paying a fee for not having the proper identification. But what exactly is a REAL ID-compliant ID?
REAL ID-compliant IDs are state-issued documents of identification — such as REAL ID driver's licenses or ID cards with a special symbol — that comply with “minimum security standards” that have recently begun to be enforced in order to travel by plane.
With more holiday travels on the horizon, here's what you need to know about REAL ID-compliant IDs and how you can get one.
The Transportation Security Administration began requiring REAL ID-compliant IDs for adult travelers flying domestically within the United States in May 2025, after 20 years of pushes for stricter identification safety regulations following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The 2005 law connected to the REAL IDs enacted the Sept. 11, 2001, commission’s recommendation to approve stricter federal requirements for issuing identification cards.
The new regulations outline that every air traveler 18 years of age and older must have a REAL ID-compliant ID, which is a state-issued driver’s license, state-issued identification card, or another acceptable form of ID, such as a U.S. passport, TSA said in a past statement.
