In just under two weeks, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require Virginia residents to have a REAL ID to board an airplane..
Starting May 7, passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not a REAL ID may face delays and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.
If a traveler’s driver’s license is not REAL ID compliant, they will need another form of approved identification.
Watch: With the REAL ID deadline approaching, what you need to board your next flight
“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver licenses and identification cards,” says Robin “Chuck” Burke, TSA’s Federal Security Director for several airports in VA, including Hampton Roads.
To determine if your ID is a REAL ID, travelers should look for a small star in the upper right corner.
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“This improvement is intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification,” says Burke.
For more information, visit the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles website.
