Beginning May 7, 2025, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, state-issued enhanced driver's license, or another acceptable form of ID to fly within the United States.
Beginning May 3, 2023, U.S. travelers flying within the United States will need to show Transportation Security Administration agents either a security-enhanced driver's license that's Real ID-compliant or another T.S.A.-approved form of identification like a passport.
You can use a current U.S. passport or a U.S. military ID at the airport to get through TSA security after May 3, 2023, just like you can right now. Just remember to bring it. Having a REAL ID-compliant driver's license is convenient for many of us because it's something we always carry with us.
It doesn't necessarily need to be your passport, which means you can fly domestically in the U.S. in 2023 without a valid passport for travel. If you don't have a passport, there are other acceptable forms of identification, including: U.S. passport card. State-issued driver's license.
There are no penalties. The customs officials might be furious but the only thing they can do is confirm you're citizen and let you back in. As for leaving the US, the US doesn't have exit checkpoints so you can leave on any passport.
In the event you arrive at the airport without proper ID, because it is lost or at home, you may still be allowed to fly. By providing additional information, TSA has other ways to confirm your identity, like using publicly available databases, so you can reach your flight.
By providing additional information, TSA has other ways to confirm your identity, like using publicly available databases, so you can reach your flight. If your identity cannot be verified, you will not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint.
In place of a passport, you can use WHTI-compliant documents like passport cards, trusted traveler's cards, and NEXUS cards. While these allow you to travel to these regions by sea and road, they are not acceptable for international flights.
If you have an outstanding bench warrant, or an arrest warrant issued by a court, you may be detained or arrested at the airport. It is more common for your name to be checked against various databases when you are traveling internationally.
According to a study by Expedia, 2023 is the year of “no-normal travel,” a year of travel “like no other.” In other words, travelers are up for anything. And Booking.com revealed travelers are feeling more optimistic about traveling this year.