Some KCI travelers say they’re in no rush to meet REAL ID deadline

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - New ID requirements for domestic air travel go into effect on May 7. There has been an organized push by the Department of Homeland Security, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and many state licensing authorities to get people “REAL ID Ready” to fly and enter certain federal buildings.

Yet, with less than 24 hours before the enforcement began, KCTV5 found plenty of people at Kansas City International Airport who had yet to update their state IDs to make them REAL ID-compliant.

Ashley Mellott was flying back to Sacramento following a business trip in Kansas City. She joked with her colleagues that she didn’t have a REAL ID so she might be in trouble if their flight was delayed. Her reason for putting it off was plain old procrastination mixed with a little bit of hassle aversion.

“I actually just got a new ID in January. It just wasn’t the REAL ID,” she said. “I think you have to go in person to get it. I think I did the mail in renewal.”

To convert to a REAL ID requires a trip to the DMV with paperwork proving identity, lawful status, Social Security Number, and state residency. A lot of people heeding the messaging flooded area DMVs, leading to long lines.

But, Mellott was prepared with a backup plan. She brought her passport, which is also an acceptable form of ID for air travel.

FACT CHECK: What you do and don’t need REAL ID for

That’s what Matthew McGaugh and Korey Childs brought for their Disney Cruise. They plan to keep using that for a while. With an unexpired passport in hand, they’re in no rush.

“Currently I’m using my passport to fly domestically, but my 40th birthday is coming up in September and that is when I plan to get that REAL ID,” said Childs. “But right now, I can travel with my passport and I can really go anywhere I need.”

A passport isn’t the only alternative to a REAL ID-compliant state ID. It’s something Arya Pratt found out when she showed up to KCI a week ahead of a work trip to ask a TSA rep in person what she’ll need to qualify for TSA Pre-Check.

“Pretty much, if you have your tribal card — I’m a Cherokee citizen — and if you have your card, you’re able to get through, not TSA Pre-Check, but you can go through the regular check-in and you’ll be able to fly,” she learned. “You’ve got to ask the questions to get your answers.”

The TSA states that even if you have only a standard issue state driver’s license, you will be able to board by going through additional security screening and identity verification, but the TSA also notes that and the list of other acceptable forms of identification are subject to change without notice.

The REAL ID Act was signed by Congress 20 years ago and enforcement was delayed multiple times as states got up to speed issuing REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses.

The change came from a 9/11 Commission recommendation that the federal government come up with standards for state IDs to establish minimum security standards for state IDs used to board commercial aircraft, access certain federal facilities and enter nuclear power plants.

KCTV5 has created a Fact Check page to help you navigate if you need one and what you’ll need to get one.

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