Signs in Terminal B at Laguardia Airport spoke on Wednesday morning. There is an arrow pointing “Real ID, Enhanced, Passport” to the right, with “All others” heading to the left.
After years of warnings and postponements, “all else” is not enough to pass the airport security checkpoint. Travelers are currently required to flash a federally compliant real ID, passport or another approved identification format to board a domestic flight.
LaGuardia's deadline began calmly, with many passengers arriving up to three hours earlier, paying attention to delays or complication warnings from the actual ID rollout. Numerous Transportation Security Office employees, airport staff and police officers adjoin the security entrance and advised travelers to prepare their IDs.
Arthur Perlman, 61, is a former Queens teacher who described himself as “a little worried,” and came four hours early for a flight to Texas. He recently got a state ID card and estimated it was an actual ID.
But it was neither a star nor an American flag. In other words, it wasn't compliant. “A week ago I was thinking about it and said, 'Oh, what a god!' ” he said. “I did a reality check.”
He panicked for a short time before he learned that his passport was also valid. He brought it to LaGuardia.
Actual ID enforcement comes after state concerns about privacy and sudden costs, and 15 years of delays associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite all the warnings and postponed deadlines, the government is still struggling to convince people to get their actual IDs.
The state reported varying percentages of actual identity compliance ahead of the Wednesday deadline. In California, all drivers were more than half of licenses or ID cards. In Pennsylvania, it was 28%.
Travelers also received mixed messages about what to expect at airport security checkpoints when deadlines arrive. The Transport Safety Administration reiterated that full enforcement will begin on Wednesday, but Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem said Tuesday that travelers who do not have actual ID compliant documents will still be allowed to fly after additional screenings.
At Chicago Midway International Airport, 19-year-old Anthony Harris, who was just a freshman year at Hampton University in Virginia, returned home early Wednesday morning without an actual ID.
Harris, who pulled all the fugitives to make the 5:45am flight, said he was unaware of the actual ID deadline when he arrived at the airport at 4am.
“I couldn't see it and it was daunting. It's been a while since I went to the airport. When I got there, I saw the signs and said, 'Oh, it's May 7th,'” he said.
He was granted through security after performing additional screening, but said the TSA agent gave him a notice that “the ID you presented does not comply with your actual ID.”
Inside the busy Terminal C at Newar Liberty International Airport, equipment breakdowns and air traffic controller staffing issues caused delays over a week. The security line moved fairly quickly, the average waiting time was 16 minutes earlier, and there was no clear separate line for travelers that were not compliant with their actual ID.
Several travelers said they are more concerned about the news that air traffic controllers coordinating Newark planes temporarily lost contact with the plane last week, prompting some controllers to move the injury away from work.
“It wasn't that late, it was safe,” said Marty Springer, a New Jersey resident who used his passport to fly to San Francisco. He had not yet managed to get his actual ID. New Jersey has one of the lowest actual ID rates in the country.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark, LaGuardia and Kennedy International, said it worked to increase personnel and raise public awareness of deadlines. “The Port Authority has worked closely with TSA, our terminal operators and all airport stakeholders to enable the transition while the federal government is now requesting real IDs at TSA checkpoints.”
As the deadline approached, demand for actual IDs surged, leading to long lines and frustration. Juanita Yost, 53, was waiting to apply with her two grown children at the Real ID SuperCenter in downtown Chicago on Tuesday.
The nurse, Yost, said she would be on vacation in a few weeks, and her college-aged daughter had planned to fly to Minnesota soon.
It was my third attempt to get the actual ID. They had previously been turned away because they didn't have the necessary documents. “It was frozen yesterday so I came here at 9am and didn't get in until 1pm,” Yost said. “They didn't convey anything well.”
Finally, about four hours later, they completed the application process just before the centre closed that day. The only catch? Their new cards should take about two weeks to arrive in the email.
Christine Chong and Nate Schweber Reported from Laguardia Airport, Michael Levenson From Newar Liberty International Airport Robert Chiarito From Chicago Midway International Airport.
