OFFICIALS have urged the TSA to give flyers a “mulligan” as they’re hit with big delays in getting new IDs before the fast-approaching deadline.
In just days, travelers will be expected to provide the agency with their REAL IDs or another valid form of identification or they face long lines at the airport.
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Flyers will no longer be able to use standard ID cards to board domestic flights starting May 7.
This looming deadline, compounded with the busy travel season, has overwhelmed DMVs across the country.
Last week, New Jersey started offering qualified DMV customers a way to get their REL IDs expedited for an extra $80.
Now, Maine has called on federal officials to give Americans a “mulligan.”
A mulligan is a golf term to describe allowing an extra stroke after a poor shot.
But in this case, the golf players are Americans who haven’t gotten their REAL IDs yet.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, along with the state’s Committee on Transportation have sent a letter to the TSA and the US Department of Homeland Security asking for their help, per local CBS and CW affiliate WABI.
They urged federal officials to consider a phased-in approach for the REAL IDs or to issue warnings to travelers trying to fly without proper identification after May 7.
“I think as a state that relies on tourism, air travel is really important to our state, and we’re concerned about any American that runs into unnecessary trouble because of an arbitrary deadline,” Bellows said.
As of April 1st, only about 27% of Mainers had a REAL ID, per Bellows’ office.
But enforcement of the REAL ID has already gone through decades of delays.
The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005 in response to the 9/11 terror attacks.
It created minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs and banned some federal agencies from accepting identification from states that do not meet those standards.
The original deadline for travelers to carry a REAL ID was 2008, but it took over a decade for every state to change their standard IDs.
Applying for a REAL ID
The process varies by state, but residents will need a few documents to apply for a REAL ID before the deadline.
No matter the state, the application process can be started online by scanning and uploading the necessary documents, basic information, and Social Security numbers. Once submitted and reviewed, an in-person visit to the DMV or your state’s department agency is necessary for an attendant to verify the documents.
From there, a thumbprint will be recorded in the system, and a photo will be issued for the ID before it’s mailed.
The documents needed are those that show:
- Full legal name (previous driver’s license, passport, etc)
- Date of birth (like a birth certificate, or an official copy of one)
- Social Security number (Social Security card)
- Two proofs of residence (like a utility bill or voter registration card)
- Lawful status
Source: Department of Homeland Security
The COVID-19 pandemic also delayed enforcement of the REAL IDs.
“Real ID has been around for about 20 years, and it’s like, yes it’s going to go, no it’s not, yes it’s going to go, no it’s not, and I think people got a little complacent,” Maine state Senator Brad Farrin, a Republican, said.
He added: “I think we have every intention to comply with Real ID.”
AIRPORT DELAYS
A senior TSA official warned that flyers without a REAL ID-compliant form of identification should “expect additional screenings” at the airport, in an interview with Forbes last month.
The official said these screenings could cause “delays and the possibility of not being allowed into the checkpoint, and that includes our TSA PreCheck passengers.”
Passengers without proper identification are advised to arrive three hours before their plane departs to account for the likely extra screenings, per the official.