The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released a list of states and territories whose residents may need a passport to fly domestically instead of just using their driver’s licenses. The states are not in compliance with the Real ID Act, which requires licenses to be equipped with “machine readable technology.”
The non-compliant locations include:
- Alaska
- California
- Illinois
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- South Carolina
- Washington
- Puerto Rico
- Guam
- the U.S. Virgin Islands
A mid-January deadline was given for the states to comply, but travelers are expected to have at least four months notice before the guidelines will be enforced, giving them time to get the proper identification.
A passport, passport card, U.S. military ID, permanent residence cards, NEXU or Global Entry cards will be accepted as forms of identification.
An extension was granted to Alaska, California, New Jersey, and South Carolina on January 6. Driver’s licenses will now be accepted from these states through October 10, 2016.
News source/photo credit: TravelZoo
