A TSA employee checks IDs as people move through security at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Most airports around the United States operated smoothly as new REAL ID requirements took effect Wednesday because travelers without the updated document were still allowed to move through security easily.

Those without the IDs were given pieces of paper informing them that going forward they would need to present REAL ID or other federally accepted ID for air travel within the U.S. It includes a QR code travelers can use to see a list of acceptable identifications.

“The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant,” the paper reads. “You will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification for your next flight or you may expect delays.”

Suzy Roberts, a traveler who didn't have a REAL ID, passed through security without a hitch at Oakland airport in Northern California. Officials gave her the TSA handout, advised her to call the DMV to make an appointment, and said she might have to go through extra screening.

“I’m going through — they’re just gonna do extra security and they’ll take my photo,” Roberts explained as she waited for her bag to be screened before her flight to Los Angeles.

The relative calm at airports was bolstered by the fact that 81% of travelers already have REAL IDs, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Nathan Carter was one of them.

“I feel pretty well prepared. I’ve had real ID for a while,” he said as he prepared to return home to Kansas City from Philadelphia.

The new requirement for domestic flights has been the subject of much discussion on social media in recent weeks, with people expressing confusion about whether they can travel without a REAL ID, sharing details about wait times and seeking advice on how to meet the requirements.

Airport security checkpoints also accepted passports and tribal identification as usual.

No lines at the airport, lines to get IDs

Many airports reported wait times of a few minutes at security checkpoints on their websites on Wednesday morning. LaGuardia Airport in New York City reported no wait at one TSA PreCheck checkpoint and wait times ranging from 2 to 11 minutes in the general lines. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s website showed wait times at its security checkpoints ranging from 5 to 16 minutes.

Nashville International Airport posted on social media that wait times were less than 20 minutes on Wednesday morning, but urged travels to help keep things running smoothly by brining a REAL ID.

The day ahead of the deadline, people lined up at government offices across the country to secure their compliant IDs. In Chicago, officials established a Real ID Supercenter for walk-in appointments, while officials in California and elsewhere planned to continue offering extended hours for the crush of appointments.

Michael Aceto waited in line at a DMV in King of Prussia, in the Philadelphia suburbs, for about two and a half hours Tuesday before getting his REAL ID.

“It’s a pain in the butt. It’s really a lot of time. Everybody’s got to take off from work to be here,” he said. “It’s a big waste of time as far as I’m concerned.”

Travelers without REAL ID still will be able to fly

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told a congressional panel on Tuesday that those who still lack an identification that complies with the REAL ID law “may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step."

There's already an extra screening process in place for people who lose or forget their IDs while traveling.

It wasn't clear Wednesday how many people without REAL IDs were facing extra screening beyond being handed the TSA flier.

REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but the implementation had been repeatedly delayed.

¨The whole idea here is to better validate those individuals that were encountering a checkpoint to ensure they are who exactly they say they are,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director in New Jersey.

If people without REAL IDs give themselves extra time, he said, they likely shouldn't miss their flights. "I do not have a belief that this will cause people to miss their flights if they take that additional time in.”

REAL ID also will be needed for certain federal facilities

Besides serving as a valid form of identification to fly domestically, people will also need a REAL ID to access certain federal buildings and facilities.

State government offices that issue driver's licenses and state IDs have seen a significant increase in demand for REAL ID and some have extended their office hours to meet the demand. Some officials have recommended people delay getting REAL ID compliant licenses and cards if they don't have flights planned in the next few months.

“Wait until after the current rush,” said Erin Johnson, a spokesperson with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

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Associated Press writers Terry Chea in Oakland, California, and Tassanee Vejpongsa in Philadelphia contributed to this report.

News from © The Associated Press, 2025