REAL ID requirement now in effect for U.S. air travel
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The line to the TSA checkpoint at Fresno Yosemite International Airport was moving quickly Wednesday afternoon.
Not quite the rush many were anticipating on this first day of REAL ID enforcement.
Kat Koschell is heading back home to Texas. She's had her REAL ID for years.
"I didn't even notice the deadline today," Koschell said.
Same for Yolanda Leamon of Madera, who's taking a trip to the East Coast.
"I went to get my license and they said 'do you want a REAL ID?' and I said ' yes' and I got it, it was easy," Leamon said.
REAL ID is a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that Homeland Security says is a more secure form of identification. It was a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission and signed into law in 2005.
The commission recommended the government set security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and IDs. It was supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but implementation has been repeatedly delayed.
The TSA says 81 percent of those who travel by air in the U.S. today are already compliant. You will still be able to travel even if you do not have your REAL ID, but officials say to expect delays.
The REAL ID requirement also extends beyond the airport, as you'll now need one to enter federal facilities, like the federal courthouse in downtown Fresno.
"I thought it was only for the airplane, I didn't know it was for this. And I didn't want to get the ID because I hardly travel so I didn't think I needed it," Fresno resident Leah Perez said.
For those who do travel, it was close to a normal day at the airport.
"I had to get here in time, so in that way I was worried but not because of the REAL ID," Leamon said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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