Finals aren’t the only thing USC students have to worry about. After finals are all said and done, many students travel back home, but now they need to make sure they don’t forget to pack their most important item, their REAL ID. On May 7, REAL IDs will be needed to travel domestically.
With the last day of finals being May 14, and many students being from out-of-state, they’re going to need to have a REAL ID to have an easy trip back home for the summer.
What does a REAL ID look like? When looking at a state ID or driver’s license, there should be a star in the upper right corner, or if you have a California license, a gold bear. If neither of those are there, the ID is not REAL ID compliant.
If you are missing a REAL ID —don’t fret. As long as you have a passport or other acceptable verification, then you’ll be able to travel like usual.
However, if you don’t have those acceptable forms of identification, then it’ll be a longer process to board a flight.
According to TSA, 81% of travelers at TSA checkpoints have an acceptable identification, including a state-issued REAL ID. Despite an estimated 19% of travelers being non-compliant, the Department of Homeland Security is enforcing the May 7 deadline after pushing it back several times since its first deadline back in 2008.
Grayson Vasquez, a senior studying international relations-global business, is fully aware that the deadline is approaching, but he’s not worried since he thinks the deadline will be moved like in the past.
“I’m not really expecting it to change, and I don’t think it’ll be heavily enforced,” Vasquez said. “So I’m really not worried about it.”
Vasquez also isn’t worried about the change because he doesn’t have to go through the regular TSA line.
“I’ll probably go a little earlier, but I also have CLEAR and TSA PreCheck, so I’m not super stressed about wait time,” Vasquez said.
Henry Hartell, an airline industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group believes that the deadline will not be extended again and travelers should brace for longer wait times.
“It’s hardcore,” Hartnell said. “They are not going to extend the deadline.”
It is still possible to travel without a REAL ID, but it will take longer and the length of the process is unknown.
“If you don’t have an acceptable form of identification, the TSA will have to do a background check on you.” Hartnell said. “That includes having somebody at the airport call a TSA call center, and they will need to manually validate who you are. It’s unclear how much time it will take.”
Sophomore Levertt Wilson said he’s had a REAL ID since he got his license a couple of years ago.
“When I was first getting my license, I just checked the box,” Wilson said. “I feel like that’s so much easier than renewing your license or having to go back after you’ve already got one without it.”
Jonathan Williams, a junior studying interactive media and game design, didn’t plan ahead. Williams had to pay over $200 to renew his passport and expedite it, since he didn’t have time to go back home to New Jersey. Now he can’t go home until he receives his passport in the mail.
“Thankfully, my lease will still go through the summer,” Williams said. “But it is a very large nuisance in the fact that I can’t go back home to see my family.”
Without having to comply with the REAL ID guidelines, he would’ve gone back home earlier and had some more cash in his pockets.
“$200 is not cheap in any capacity, especially as college students, it’s not a cheap thing to have to fork up just to be able to travel back home,” Williams said. “It’s a very annoying purchase that I now have to justify, because without it, I can’t go back home.”
Yamileth Diaz, a freshman international relations-global business major could be in the same boat as Williams.
During spring break, she went back home to Houston to get REAL ID, but still hasn’t received it and has a flight home booked for May 16.
“I went back home to make sure I had my ID,” Diaz said. “I wouldn’t have gotten it this close.”
While she hopes to get it in time, she might have to show up at the airport earlier if she doesn’t receive it.
“I don’t really mind getting there earlier,” Diaz said. “As long as I could board my flight. That’s all that matters.”
Even those who have TSA-precheck, CLEAR and a REAL ID should expect longer wait times, just not as long as those who don’t have a REAL ID because they don’t need to go through an extra screening process.
“There is a risk that the procedures may vary because one airport may have enough real estate where they can separate passengers at the head of the security line into two groups, people whose ID meets REAL ID standards and people whose IDs don’t,” Hartnell said. “ every airport may have that road to do that. Even if they have the road, they may not have the staffing to do this.”
Hartnell encourages everyone – those who are REAL ID compliant and those who are not – to get there at least an extra hour earlier than they usually do.
“Everyone’s going to be learning how to navigate this new environment, and it’s always a little more disruptive during the first week,” Hartnell said.
While the deadline is May 7, people can still get a REAL ID. California and many other states have extended their hours to accommodate people.
“If you don’t have a type of identification that is REAL ID compliant, run, do not walk to your local DMV,” Hartnell said. “Get an appointment to get a new driver’s license that is REAL ID compliant.”