Q&A: What happens if you show up to the airport without a REAL ID after May 7?

The deadline for travelers to comply with federal REAL ID requirements is now less than a month away. Beginning May 7, 2025, anyone flying domestically must present a REAL ID-compliant form of identification at airport security checkpoints. News 9 spoke with Barbara Newey, a tag agency agent, and Stacey Hamm, Public Information and Marketing Manager at Will Rogers World Airport, to help break down what this means for Oklahomans.

Q: What happens if someone shows up at the airport on May 7 without a REAL ID or valid alternative?

Hamm: “If you don’t have the proper identification as of May 7, then moving forward, chances are you will miss your flight. TSA won’t let you continue to go through the security checkpoint area.”

Q: What exactly is a REAL ID, and why was it implemented?

Barbara Newey: “The REAL ID was implemented after 9/11, and so everybody has to have proof that they are U.S. citizens somehow or have the ability to fly. If they don’t have a star on a driver’s license by May 7 or a passport, active U.S. government ID, they will not be able to get on a plane domestically.”

Q: What documents are required to obtain a REAL ID?

Newey: “If they have a passport, it’s simple. A passport, and if their driver’s license address is current, they just need one more proof of residency. They don’t have to have a Social Security card — they can just give us the number.

If they don’t have a passport, they have to have a birth certificate, and the birth certificate has to match the name on the license. If not, they have to show a paper trail — marriage license, divorce decree — whatever documents explain the name change.”

Q: What should someone do if they’ve had multiple name changes?

Newey: “Paper trail. I have to have a birth certificate, marriage license, divorce decree, marriage license… how you went from your birth name to the current name. Some people got married and then divorced and went back to their maiden name. So if the driver’s license and birth certificate match, they can bypass all the other documents.”

Q: Will a state-issued ID be enough to fly?

Hamm: “If it’s a state ID card that has the REAL ID star on it, correct. But if it’s just a basic state ID without the star, it must be accompanied by a valid passport.”

Q: What other forms of ID will TSA accept?

Hamm: “Your military ID and your tribal ID will also pass, but those must be valid and current. TSA will no longer accept expired licenses or allow you to provide multiple documents in place of a REAL ID.”

Q: How are airport and airline staff preparing for this transition?

Hamm: “TSA is prepared. Our airlines at the ticket counters — all staff have been prepped. They’re supposed to check your ID at the ticket counter when you check in, and they’ll inform you if you have the proper identification before you get to TSA.”

Q: Are tag agencies seeing more people trying to get their REAL ID ahead of the deadline?

Newey: “Yes, and I have seen an influx increasing the last four weeks. So yes, I’m anticipating it to be worse as it gets closer.”

Q: Any tips for people trying to get their REAL ID in time?

Newey: “There’s a REAL ID checklist on the Service Oklahoma website. They can download that and have those documents ready. And call around — some agencies take appointments, mine is walk-in only, Monday through Friday, 9 to 4:30. First come, first serve.”

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REAL ID: What Oklahomans need to know before the deadline in May 

When and where can I get a REAL ID in Oklahoma? 

60% of Oklahoma IDs not REAL ID-compliant one month before deadline, says Service Oklahoma 

Deadline Approaching: Real ID required for domestic travel starting May 7