Travelers Have One Year to Get a REAL ID

New License Required for Boarding Flights Starting Oct. 1, 2020

RDU Airport, N.C. – Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, every air traveler 18 and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of ID to fly at all U.S. airports, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Passengers who do not have a REAL ID or other form of identification such as a valid passport or U.S. military ID will not be allowed to pass through the security checkpoint.

“A year may sound like a long time but the 2020 deadline will be here before we know it,” said Michael Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “It is important for travelers to get their REAL ID well in advance to avoid any last-minute rush or risk being turned away at the airport.”

Approximately 1.3 million N.C. REAL IDs have already been issued and another 1.8 million North Carolinians are estimated to need one. The N.C. REAL ID will be identified by a star in the upper right-hand corner. It will be required for boarding commercial airlines and entering federal buildings, but not for driving.

The REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, establishes minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards and prohibits federal agencies like TSA from accepting licenses and IDs that do not meet the new standards. The security requirements of the REAL ID Act are intended to enhance and improve commercial aviation security.

More information about REAL ID requirements can be found online at TSA and NCDMV.