If REAL ID can be further delayed, why is it needed?

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced yet another delay in requiring Real ID identification to board commercial flights. The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005, based on the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation. It sets a standard for identification cards issued by states, including driver’s licenses.  

The documentation required to get a REAL ID is more extensive than a simple ID. These include proof of identity, date of birth and U.S. citizenship or lawful status, your full social security number, residency and written signature. This means that any person unable to provide such documentation will be unable to secure a REAL ID and potentially be unable to fly commercially.  

Since that law was enacted, there have been an endless series of delays. The last few delays (from Oct. 1, 2020, to Oct. 1, 2021, to May 3, 2023) were attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent delay moved the requirement out to May 7, 2025.  

If such an identification verification standard is critical to secure the nation’s air space and air travel, as well as access to federal buildings, why are these delays being tolerated?  

The COVID-19 pandemic certainly created headwinds for rolling out REAL ID driver’s licenses and other forms of identification, as access to state Department of Motor Vehicle offices were problematic. Having a cascading sequence of delays is putting into question how seriously identity verification is being taken by the DHS.  

The agency that is most affected by the REAL ID requirement is the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). They are mandated to protect the air system from bad actors intent on disrupting air travel. Part of this process involves confirming that a traveler who presents themselves at an airport security checkpoint is indeed the person they claim to be. The TSA has rolled out Credential Authentication Technology to streamline the process and make it more efficient, secure and reliable. Adding a REAL ID requirement makes the system even more secure.  

Fraudulent IDs are ubiquitous, given that identity theft has become rampant. The purpose of REAL IDs is to stay one step ahead of the bad actors who may attempt to gain access to the secure side of the air system. REAL IDs effectively harden the air system by tightening the ID verification process, protecting against airport security breaches. ID verification is a critical layer of airport security that makes air travel safer for everyone.  

This means that the air system is less hardened by not requiring REAL ID verification.  

From the airlines’ point of view, once the requirement is in place and a traveler does not have a REAL ID, they will be denied access, effectively preventing them from flying. Airlines cannot be in favor of preventing passengers with paid tickets to board their airplanes. As such, any obstacles that could lead to travelers not boarding their flight is a risk that no airline wishes to assume.  

REAL IDs for air travelers make sense. The proliferation of falsified forms of identification creates a security hole that could be exploited by bad actors. The fact that it has yet to happen does not justify that there is not a need.  

The COVID-19 pandemic was a convenient excuse for delaying the requirement for REAL IDsat airports. That excuse no longer holds water. States that issue REAL IDs have had ample time to set up the process to issue them. All 50 states and five territories are already REAL ID compliant. This means that the vast majority of air travelers should have access to REAL IDs or are on notice to secure one. The bigger issue is ensuring that people understand the benefits of having a REAL ID — and through thoughtful communication and education, are willing to get one.  

Identity verification has become a lightning rod for debate in relation to Voter ID laws. REAL IDs are not required to vote. They should however be required at any facility where there is risk associated with a person falsely gaining access using another person’s identity and credentials. Adding banking and financial transactions to the list where REAL IDs are required makes sense. 

Moving the deadline for air travel to 2025 is a delay that should never have been implemented.  Instead of using creeping delays to require REAL IDs for air travel, stand firm and bear the short-term consequences when people are denied access to air travel and federal facilities. This will ensure long-term compliance that will bear positive fruit when other new requirements may be needed in the future.   

Sheldon H. Jacobson, Ph.D., is a professor in Computer Science and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. A data scientist, he applies his expertise in data-driven risk-based decision-making to evaluate and inform public policy. He has researched aviation security since 1996, providing the technical foundations for risk-based security that led to the development of TSA PreCheck.