BY THE WAY ( a PSA )
Beginning Oct . 1 , 2021 , every U . S . resident will need to present a REAL ID for boarding commercial aircraft .
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The Travel Advisor ’ s Guide to REAL ID
Everything you and your clients need to know about the U . S .’ s new security standards .
2020 WAS GOING TO BE A CRITICAL YEAR FOR REGULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH REAL ID , THE U . S . GOVERNMENT ’ S EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE SECURITY OF STATE-ISSUED IDENTIFICATION – SPECIFICALLY , DRIVER ’ S LICENSES AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR THOSE 18 YEARS AND OLDER . REAL ID HAS MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR TRAVEL , AS SOME LICENSES WILL NOT MEET NEW TSA GUIDELINES . ORIGINALLY SLATED FOR OCT . 1 , 2020 , THE DEADLINE HAS NOW BEEN PUSHED TO OCT . 1 , 2021 . SO HOW WILL THIS CHANGE AFFECT YOUR CLIENTS ?
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What ’ s the deadline for individual compliance ? Beginning Oct . 1 , 2021 , every U . S . resident will need to present a REAL ID for boarding commercial aircraft when flying domestically — with the exception of travelers using a passport or passport card ( an enhanced driver ’ s license presently issued by only Michigan , Minnesota , New York , Vermont and Washington ).
How can I tell if my client ’ s license is compliant ? The U . S . government has issued a series of symbols that will indicate if a license or identification card is a REAL ID : a gold star , a black star , a white star in a gold circle , a white star in a black circle , or a gold bear with a white star on its back .
Educating yourself about REAL ID is your best bet to help communicate these new regulations to your clients .
Here ’ s the background . The REAL ID Act , which was initially passed in 2005 , aims to establish uniform security standards for licenses and identification cards — essentially , a desire to standardize a system across the entire country rather than maintain a patchwork of different standards . These forms of identification are relevant to a number of different applications , including accessing federal facilities and , crucially , boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft for the purposes of domestic travel . Please note that REAL ID cannot be used for international travel , including land crossings into Canada or Mexico .
It ’ s important to understand that the impact of these regulations will vary from state to state .
Which states are compliant ? According to the most recent data provided by the U . S . Department of Homeland
Security , all states are now compliant , along with Northern Mariana Islands . American Samoa is considered Under Review , meaning that licensing is presently being examined to ensure compliance standards have been met .
It ’ s important to understand that a state designation of compliance does not mean that all IDs from that state are compliant ; it simply means that standards have been updated and IDs that were granted after that date may be compliant . Compliant states are permitted to issue both compliant and noncompliant identification , so it ’ s crucial to confirm compliance even if an ID was recently issued . And because the compliance dates of each state varies widely — Georgia became compliant in 2012 , for example , while California became compliant in 2018 — it is important to double-check that a client ’ s individual ID meets the required standard .
How can I ensure that my clients are compliant ? Once you ’ re properly informed , you can then walk your clients through the deadlines and any necessary steps they might need to take . Consider this service yet another advantage ( of many ) that comes with booking a trip through a knowledgeable travel advisor .
Encourage your clients to visit their state ’ s driver ’ s licensing agency website to determine how they can apply for a REAL ID . Typically , they might be expected to provide the following things : their full legal name ; their date of birth ; their Social Security number ; two proofs of state residence ; and lawful status .
With less than a year until the Oct . 1 , 2021 , deadline for U . S . -wide compliance , you ’ re running out of time to help your clients prepare . So it ’ s better to tackle this issue sooner rather than later , as millions of Americans are expected to update their IDs before that deadline .
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