MW Got your Real ID? You should still get to the airport at least 3 hours early if you're flying anytime soon.

By Charles Passy

The Real ID requirement for flights within the U.S. is here. Travelers should brace for long airport security lines and delays as people get used to the new rule, experts say.

Be prepared for even longer waits at the airport starting tomorrow.

And if you think having a Real ID means you'll be able to speed through the check-in process for your flight, think again.

On May 7, all airline passengers will be required to show a form of identification that meets new federal requirements, such as a Real ID-compliant driver's license, a passport or a Global Entry card, to board a domestic flight.

Travel experts warn that the implementation of the new federal identification protocol, which is designed to improve security, could leave all passengers waiting in long lines in the coming days and weeks.

As a result, experts are advising travelers to get to the airport much earlier than they might have in the past - two and a half to three hours ahead of the scheduled departure time for a domestic flight, to be on the safe side, compared with the previous recommendation of two hours.

So why would travelers who have a Real ID still be stuck in a long line? It's simple: Bottlenecks will likely occur because passengers who don't have the required document will require extra attention from security.

And fliers are already expressing concerns in Reddit discussion forums, for example, that some TSA agents are not aware that a state-issued enhanced driver's license or enhanced nondriver ID card that allows for vehicle travel across the U.S. border with neighboring countries complies with Real ID rules. So expect plenty of discussions at the security gate.

"There's going to be a little bit of conversation, and it will hold up the line," said Rich Davis, a senior security adviser for International SOS, a travel-risk-mitigation company.

The document known as a Real ID is essentially an upgraded version of a standard state-issued driver's license or nondriver ID. To get one, you need to apply through the state agency that issues driver's licenses - the one known in many places as the department of motor vehicles, or DMV.

Experts suggest arriving two and a half to three hours ahead of the scheduled departure time for a domestic flight.

If you have a passport or other Real ID-compliant form of identification, you should also be OK to fly domestically, according to the Transportation Security Administration. However, a standard state-issued driver's license or nondriver ID - once perfectly acceptable for domestic flights - will no longer suffice.

In the coming weeks, many airline passengers may not meet the new requirement or may not have the requisite identification on hand when they get to the airport. According to one TSA account, nearly two out of every 10 passengers could fall into this group.

And for those who don't have an acceptable form of ID, the conversation with security officials at the airport may not be so quick.

A TSA spokesperson told MarketWatch that passengers without the requisite ID "may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening." They may still be able to board their plane, but the process involved will be much more involved than the usual rubber-stamp one.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke about the issue on Tuesday, saying passengers without the new federally required forms of ID should still be able to fly, for now.

Such passengers "may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step," Noem said.

Such vetting of passengers without a Real ID-compliant document "could take an extra hour or more, depending on how many people are in front of you in the same situation," said Sheldon H. Jacobson, a computer-science professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences.

According to one TSA account, nearly two out of every 10 passengers may not meet the new ID requirements.

And what if you miss your plane because of these delays - even if you have a Real ID?

You can't bank on the airline being understanding and waiving any rebooking fees, experts warn.

There are "no promises at this point," said Sean Cudahy, an aviation reporter with the Points Guy travel site.

But if enough passengers are affected at any given time, airlines may be accommodating, Cudahy said.

MarketWatch reached out to several carriers to see how they are planning to handle the situation starting May 7. Most didn't specify any fee-waiver policies, but a Delta Air Lines $(DAL)$ spokesperson said, "As we do today, Delta people will work on a case-by-case basis to rebook customers who miss flights due to extenuating circumstances once at the airport."

A Southwest Airlines $(LUV)$ spokesperson advised passengers to plan ahead. "We recommend customers arrive at the airport up to three hours early to allow extra time for screening at security," the spokesperson said.

Delays caused by the new requirements should ease over time, experts said, as travelers become more aware of what kind of document is needed to fly domestically. People can apply for a Real ID at any time.

"I hope that by the time we get to Memorial Day weekend, things will have settled down," said Christie Hudson, an expert with travel-booking site Expedia (EXPE).

-Charles Passy

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May 06, 2025 12:23 ET (16:23 GMT)

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