What happens if you travel without a Real ID
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Checkpoint 2 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport opened in March. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Wednesday, May 7, is the first day a Real ID compliant license — or another acceptable document — is needed to board a commercial aircraft in the U.S.
Why it matters: If you aren't Real ID compliant, you may experience longer wait times at the airport, Transportation Security Administration spokesperson Daniel Velez tells Axios.
What to expect: If you show up at a TSA checkpoint without a Real ID, you may have to undergo additional screening. This can range from answering questions to confirm your identity to a personal search, Velez says.
- "The good news is that 81% of passengers already use their Real ID or another acceptable form, so we do not expect there to be any inconveniences or wait times at all," Velez says.
Context: You don't need a Real ID to drive, vote, or for federal benefits, like Social Security, participate in a federal jury, testify in federal court, or access a hospital.
- Rather, a Real ID is helpful if you frequently fly commercial, visit nuclear sites, military bases and certain federal facilities, North Carolina DMV spokesperson Marty Homan tells Axios.
Between the lines: Real IDs are typically marked with a star in the upper right corner, though the specific design may vary by state.
By the numbers: Roughly 300,000 Real IDs were issued to North Carolinians between January and April of this year by the NCDMV, per Homan.
- 4.5 million people, or about 52% of residents, have Real IDs in North Carolina and 4.1 million don't.
The big picture: North Carolina DMVs are slammed as people scramble to renew their licenses ahead of the deadline.
- If you aren't flying domestically any time soon, you don't need to rush to the DMV, Homan says.
- NCDMV is encouraging people with a passport or military ID to wait to get their Real ID, so people without those forms of ID can get a Real ID.
Go deeper: Direct flights from Charlotte