Millions of Americans may soon need a second form of ID to get through airport security. Turns out, driver's licenses from four states and one U.S. territory aren't compliant with federal security standards.
The REAL ID Act – passed by Congress 10 years ago – set minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and photo IDs. But enforcement of the new regulations wasn't announced until 2013 – and part of the final phase of enforcement includes how people access commercial aircraft.
If state IDs don't comply with the new standards, federal agencies can't accept them as a person's sole proof of identification. And according to the DHS, full enforcement is set to begin "no sooner than 2016."
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"No sooner" makes the realistic timeline a little confusing. Enforcement could begin next year, or not. And while the exact timeline of enforcement is still unclear, the DHS does say this:
Driver's licenses from 4 states could soon be useless for getting through airport security
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But according to USA Today, there are four states – Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York – that are not yet in compliance with the new rules, and residents from these states may be required to have a second form of ID in order to get past TSA.
So while it's still unclear when the new standards will actually be enforced, people from these four non-compliant states should plan to carry a second form of ID – such as a passport – if they plan to fly anywhere beginning in 2016.
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