Starting May 7, the Transportation Security Administration will no longer consider state-issued driver licenses and identification cards without a Real ID certification to be sufficient for boarding commercial flights, a long-delayed policy shift that could cause headaches for Montana travelers.
According to the TSA website, several other forms of identification will be accepted in lieu of Real IDs, including passports, U.S. passport cards, U.S. Department of Defense IDs, permanent resident cards and some IDs issued by federally recognized tribal nations.
It’s unclear exactly how the TSA will enforce the new policy, which will also apply to entry to federal facilities such as military bases and federal courthouses.
The TSA says that passengers without a Real ID should “expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.” The agency said in January that it will take a “phased approach” to implementation with the goal of full enforcement by May 5, 2027.
As of April 30, 34% of Montanans had Real IDs, according to Montana Department of Justice spokesperson Emilee Cantrell.
Cantrell said that the state department of motor vehicles, which issues drivers licenses, has seen an uptick in Real ID appointments but currently has openings six to seven days out. She also said that the department is offering extended hours and Saturday appointments in some areas to help manage the application uptick.
Acquiring a Real ID requires more documentation than traditional identification cards, along with a $25 surcharge. TSA acting administrator Adam Stahl said in an April statement that “the Real ID requirement bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists.”
Congress first passed the Real ID requirement in 2005 as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Montana and other states pushed back against the Federal policy, resulting in a series of delays that have postponed implementation by roughly 20 years.
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