Traffic & Transit
Airports Warn Of REAL ID Crisis: What To Know In Pennsylvania
A trade group that represents the commercial airport industry says there will be a crisis if the Oct. 1 REAL ID deadline isn't extended.
A trade group that represents the commercial airport industry is warning of a “real crisis” if Congress does not extend the deadline for REAL ID compliance in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
Starting Oct. 1, driver's licenses and state IDs that are not REAL ID compliant will not be accepted as identification by federal authorities. That means REAL IDs will be needed to board domestic flights and get access to federal facilities, unless you use a passport instead.
The Airports Council-North America, which represents commercial airports in the United States and Canada, is calling on the federal government to extend the deadline amid concerns that two-thirds of driver’s licenses held by Americans aren’t REAL ID-compliant.
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In Pennsylvania, REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses and photo ID cards have been available since March 2019.
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Kevin M. Burke, the president and CEO of the airport industry trade group, warned of travel disruptions if the REAL ID deadline isn’t extended.
“If the government doesn’t make a definitive statement now that they’re going to extend this, then we’re going to have a real crisis on our hands come Oct. 1,” Burke told NBC News.
Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows states have issued more than 95 million REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and identification cards.
If travelers haven’t obtained them by Oct. 1, they won’t be able to board flights, and that could disrupt their lives and airline operations, as well, Burke said.
The REAL ID law was passed by Congress after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Four pieces of identification are required to obtain a REAL ID: a passport or birth certificate, a Social Security card or tax return, and two documents proving proof of residence, such as a mortgage or rental receipt and a utility bill.
As the deadline looms, motor vehicle offices are scrambling to keep up with the number of people requesting the REAL IDs, the NBC News report said.
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