No REAL ID? Expect extra screening at the airport

AAA recommends having your REAL ID if you plan on flying for the holidays. Fliers can still board a flight without one, but you may have to do extra screening in order to fly.
Posted 12/22/2025, 12:14:00 AM Updated 12/22/2025, 10:19:46 AM

PROJECTS THAT PAUSE WILL BE IN

EFFECT THROUGH JANUARY SECOND

TRACK. AND AS YOU'RE HEADING TO

THE AIRPORT, AAA RECOMMENDS

HAVING YOUR REAL ID, YOU CAN

STILL BOARD A FLIGHT WITHOUT

ONE, BUT YOU MAY HAVE TO DO

SOME EXTRA SCREENING IN ORDER

TO FLY THE BUREAU'S DESTINY.

PATTERSON EXPLAINS HOW HAVOC

THAT PROPER ID COULD IMPACT

YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCE THIS

HOLIDAY SEASON AND BEYOND.

>> AFTER YEARS OF DELAYS, THIS

IS THE FIRST WINTER HOLIDAY

SEASON. TSA'S ENFORCING THE

REAL ID ACT. SO WE ASKED

TRAVELERS IF THEY'VE GOTTEN

THEIRS. I DO HAVE MY REAL ID.

I JUST HAVEN'T GOTTEN AROUND

TO. IT. MAY HAVE TSA PRECHECK.

SO THAT CHANGES, BUT WE NEED TO

GET THE SISTERS LANE II AND

LEAH BARNER CAN STILL HELP ON A

FLIGHT WITH NO ISSUES, THOUGH I

HAD MY GLOBAL ENTRY CARD AND

I'VE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH

THAT. I JUST SAW MY PASSPORT.

BOTH OF THOSE ARE LISTED ON THE

TSA'S WEBSITE AS ACCEPTABLE

FORMS OF ID. TSA SPOKESPERSON

CARTER LANGSTON SAYS MOST

PEOPLE ARE COMPLIANT. WE'RE

SEEING ABOUT 5% OF THE

POPULATION COMING THROUGH.

>> WITH OUT EITHER A STATE

ISSUED REAL I D A WE'RE AN

ACCEPTABLE FORM OF FOR THOSE

WHO DON'T. TSA MAY ASK YOU TO

COMPLETE AN IDENTITY

VERIFICATION PROCESS.

>> AND YOU MAY HAVE TO GO

THROUGH MORE SCREENING. BUT

SOON, PASSENGERS WITHOUT A REAL

ID. WE'LL ALSO HAVE TO SHELL

OUT EXTRA MONEY ON FEBRUARY.

THE FIRST WE'RE GOING TO START

CHARGING $45 POURED IN FROM

IDEA TO TSA SAYS THAT WILL BE

A MODERNIZED ALTERNATIVE

IDENTITY VERIFICATION SYSTEM.

JORGE GREEN SAYS HE'S AVOIDING

THAT HEADACHE ALTOGETHER.

I'VE ALWAYS HAD IT. SO I'VE

NEVER HAD TO GO THROUGH THE

PROTOCOL AND NOT HAVE IT FOR

THOSE PACKING THEIR BAGS.

LEESON SAYS IT'S BEST TO HAVE

COMPLIANT CREDENTIALS TO SAVE

YOU TIME AND TO MINIMIZE TRAVEL

HEADACHES, DESTINY. PATTERSON,