SYRACUSE, N.Y. — New York state residents who want to board an airplane for a domestic flight will soon need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license, which takes effect May 7.
If their driver’s license is not REAL ID-compliant, they will need another form of approved identification, such as a passport to board their flight or enter a secure federal facility or military base.
The REAL ID driver’s license and enhanced license have a small star or flag on them to indicate they meet federal regulations that establish minimum security standards, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said in its Tuesday announcement.
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“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards,” Bart Johnson, TSA’s federal security director for airports in upstate New York, said in the announcement. “The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”
New York residents have the option to upgrade to a REAL ID or an enhanced ID or they can stick with an older standard driver’s license. However, a standard credential —without the star or flag — will not be valid to board a domestic flight or to access secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices, TSA said.
To get the REAL ID compliant license, individuals will need to visit their local New York Department of Motor Vehicles office in person and bring certain documents to prove U.S. citizenship and New York residency.
Required documents include one proof of identity (passport or U.S. birth certificate); proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens; two proofs of New York residency; your Social Security card (if you’ve been issued one); and a current driver’s license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state.
TSA officers who staff the ticket document checking station at airports will not allow travelers into the checkpoint without a REAL ID-compliant license or another form of acceptable ID after May 7 because of a federal law (The REAL ID Act of 2005) that mandates that a REAL ID is needed for federal-identification purposes.
