STAR ID deadline nears: How to fly without a Real ID after May 7
With less than three weeks left to get their STAR IDs, many Alabamians may be wondering what they need to fly without it.
Starting on May 7, only state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet the security requirements established by the 2005 REAL ID Act will be allowed for official purposes, including boarding commercial aircraft, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Without their REAL ID, travelers will have to bring an Enhanced ID or passport in order to board any flight in the U.S.
According to the TSA website, all of the following are acceptable alternatives to a REAL ID for domestic travel:
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
- HSPD-12 PIV card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
- Transportation worker identification credential
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
- Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)
STAR – which stands for Secure, Trusted, Reliable – is part of the Real ID Act, which modifies federal laws dealing with security, authentication and issuance procedure standards for state driver licenses and identification cards.
Alabama STAR IDs will look like traditional driver licenses except with a gold star in the upper left corners.
Tara Corse, TSA federal security director for Alabama, said anyone who doesn’t have their REAL ID might need to expect delays for additional screening and identity verification.
Screeners will first ask travelers for a passport or other forms of identification, Corse told AL.com’s John Roby.
A Department of Defense ID along with another government-issued ID would likely be accepted, she said. The requirement also does not apply to children under 18.
Those without a passport or valid secondary ID will undergo enhanced screening, Corse said. That applies as well to travelers enrolled in TSA PreCheck.
“Enhanced screening is much more involved: Swabbing individuals, secondary pat-downs – if you have TSA PreCheck, you will not be going through PreCheck, you’re going to be going through standard line screening along with additional actions on top of that,” Corse said.
Finally, travelers who do not pass additional screening, “will be flatly denied” and routed back to the airline for rebooking, she said.
Residents can apply for STAR IDs at ALEA Driver License examining offices. You can see a list of those here.
Applicants must present four documents to verify identity/date of birth, Social Security number and address of principal residence.
Among the accepted documents are a valid, unexpired U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate or a certificate of naturalization.
Other documents will be needed to verify Social Security number and address. You can see a complete list of accepted documents here.