WASHINGTON, Sept 12 (Askume) – The Biden administration on Thursday delayed by two years the full implementation of new rules requiring Americans to obtain new identification cards to board flights or enter federal buildings, until May 2027.
Congress approved new, more stringent federal standards for issuing ID cards in 2005, but their implementation has been repeatedly delayed.
The Department of Homeland Security has extended the December 2022 Real ID enforcement deadline to May 7, 2025.
Immediate implementation of these requirements could have significant consequences for US airlines and airports.
The Transportation Security Administration, the part of the Department of Homeland Security that oversees airport security checkpoints, said Thursday that it hopes to implement a “phased approach” to the requirements by May 2027, but full enforcement could begin before then.
TSA spokesman Carter Langston said the agency’s message to travelers is to get a new ID to avoid delays. “Don’t wait,” Langston said.
The Department of Homeland Security believes that without the suspension, U.S. agencies could face serious risks of operational disruptions, negative public impact, and potential security breaches.
The 2005 law implemented the committee’s September 11, 2001 recommendation that the U.S. government “establish standards for the issuance of driver licenses and other sources of identification.” The act sets minimum security standards for licensing and production.
One of the problems is that more than 124 million people still do not have the required identification cards. The Department of Homeland Security estimates that states and territories have issued about 162 million REAL ID cards, which is 56% of all state ID cards.
TSA said agencies may issue warning notices or gradually impose consequences rather than fully enforcing the ID requirements next May.
Since many Americans travel by air only once or twice a year, the Transportation Security Administration said it would issue three warnings before telling travelers they can’t take future flights without the new ID.
The Department of Homeland Security said it “expects that some agencies will choose to track enforcement plans for individual violation cases.”
The TSA said a long-term failure to accept older ID cards “could result in lines and congestion at entrances and exits to federal facilities or airport security checkpoints.”
“Confusion and frustration over being denied entry may distract security personnel from properly executing procedures,” the agency said.
