Post-9/11 Airport Safety Measure Could Be Delayed Again After 20 Years

An airport safety measure, which was passed in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers to combat terrorism and identity fraud, could be delayed again until 2027.
The measure involved requiring those over the age of 18 traveling domestically to still provide a federally compliant identity card, or a Real ID, at airport security and was meant to come into action next year, according to Homeland Security.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has instead proposed a phased approach to the installment of the new law.
A Real ID card is like a driver’s license but has a gold or black star in the top right corner to signify its federal compliance. It also has a scannable strip which acts like a passport by holding personal information.
The TSA report explained that the phased approach would allow Federal agencies to “start card-based enforcement in a manner that reduces potential disruption to operations, reduces negative public impact, and supports a smooth transition to full card-based enforcement.”
Giving the example of agencies beginning the enforcement by “issuing warning notices” or “through progressive consequences,” the TSA added that this would “mitigate the risks of an immediate transition.”
This would mean that passengers of flights traveling within the U.S. who do not have a federally compliant ID card on them at the airport security checks could be handed a non-compliant ID slip saying their license needs to be upgraded, according to Thrifty Traveler.
The TSA warned that without the gradual implementation of the new rule, Federal agencies could face a “serious risk of operational disruption, negative public impact, and potential security vulnerabilities.”
As around 56 percent of identification cards in circulation were federally compliant as of January 2024, according to the TSA report, the TSA explained this would have a “real possibility of disruptions” to travel if the law was to come into action on the originally proposed date of May 7, 2025.
Passengers can also use their passports, global entry cards or enhanced driver’s licenses as federally compliant ID cards if they do not have the Real or Star ID card, as it can be called.
The TSA has also invited the public to share their comments on the proposal to delay the deadline, by submitting their comments to the government website on or before October 15, 2024.
Newsweek has contacted the press office of the TSA for comment.
Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about this article? Contact [email protected].