What to Know About REAL ID and Business Travel

If you often travel for business purposes or you are the travel organizer for an organization, then you may have heard that changes are underway about what acceptable identification can be used when flying domestically.

Beginning October 1, 2020, Pennsylvanians will need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license, photo ID card, or another form of federally-acceptable identification. While READ IDs are optional in Pennsylvania, you will have to provide an alternate form of federally-acceptable identification (valid passport, military ID, etc.) to board domestic, commercial flights

Why the ID Change?

The REAL ID Act, which passed in 2005 by the US Congress after the 9/11 Commission, strongly suggested standardizing government-issued identifications, setting minimum security standards for driver's licenses, which included machine-readable technology. The newly designed licenses will be required to access federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and board federally regulated commercial aircraft.

Acceptable ID's for Flying Domestically

TSA will continue numerous forms of acceptable ID for air travel within the US, including:

• State-issued drivers licenses or other state photo ID cards
• US passports and passport cards
• DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
• US military ID.
• Green Cards
• Border Crossing Cards
• DHS-designated enhanced driver's licenses
• Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo IDs
• HSPD-12 PIV cards
• Foreign government-issued passports
• Canadian provincial driver's licenses or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada cards
• Transportation worker identification credential