Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
The REAL ID deadline has passed, and for Georgians looking to fly out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, that source of identification is crucial. REAL IDs are needed to board domestic flights and, in some cases, enter federal facilities.
With an average of 2,700 arrivals and departures per day, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains the busiest airport in the country.
Passengers may also use a U.S. Passport in order to be identification compliant for domestic flights, but to be REAL or not to be REAL, that is the question. If they are looking for REAL ID signage around the entrance to the security checkpoint, United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, the former Governor of South Dakota, will be there to help them.
The video monitors above the entrance play a non-stop loop of Noem talking about REAL ID. There are also red flyers that TSA agents have in hand for passengers to scan QR codes on if they need a list of acceptable identification.
The national REAL ID deadline was on Wednesday, May 7, and with it came many concerns about whether or not the IDs in Georgians’ wallets and purses were any good anymore. If you’re in Georgia, the odds are definitely in your favor. All Georgia driver’s licenses issued after 2012 are REAL ID compliant, according to the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS).
“While nearly all Georgia residents already have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification, it’s important for those who don’t get one soon if traveling this summer,” said Mark Howell, TSA Regional Spokesperson. “TSA is expecting heavy travel volume this summer, especially during the holiday weekends, and passengers who are not “REAL ID-ready” could see additional screening and delays while at the security checkpoint.”
Photo by Donnell Suggs/The Atlanta Voice
Gold and Black Stars
The sign that your driver’s license is a REAL ID is in the upper right corner of your card. The gold and or black star on the driver’s license is what the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer will look for when you approach the security check-in.
The difference between the gold and black star on REAL IDs is simple: there is no difference, according to Georgia DDS. The color only changed from gold to black due to a card design change within DDS.
Millions of REAL IDS
Georgia is currently 99% REAL ID compliant, according to DDS.
Of the 233 million licensed drivers in the United States, 7.5 million of those people are licensed to drive in the state of Georgia, according to the data site Stista. The REAL ID Act (2005) was signed into law and passed by Congress during the George W. Bush Administration. The REAL ID Act was implemented as a security measure following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission.
On Tuesday evening, the line inside the main checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International snaked along slowly. A passenger walked over to a TSA agent, and in his hand was what looked like a driver’s license. Moments later, he was handed one of those red flyers with the QR code.
The REAL ID era is here. Are you ready?
