If you don't have a REAL ID, which is the small gold star in the upper right corner of your driver's license, you'll want to get one soon.
Beginning May 7, 2025, all U.S. travelers who are 18 and older will need a REAL ID or their passport to board domestic flights and access certain federal buildings.
"A REAL ID is basically an extra vetted identification card," said Dan Velez, TSA spokesperson for New England. "It stems back to the 9/11 attacks."
Velez joined other airport leaders and Connecticut's Department of Motor Vehicles at Bradley International Airport Thursday morning to talk about the upcoming deadline, which was pushed back a couple times due to the pandemic.
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Connecticut's TSA Federal Security Director William Csontos says it's an effort led by the federal government to increase safety and security.
"The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists' ability to evade detection by using fraudulent IDs," said Csontos.
Since May 8, TSA officers at Bradley have been passing out fliers to any travelers with a non-REAL ID. We spoke to a woman who was handed one of those slips before she got to her gate.
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"I'm just going to do it because it needs to be done," said Keontae Pugh, of Richmond, Virginia.
Luis Galdamez, who was in Connecticut for his daughter's U.S. Coast Guard graduation, says he has a REAL ID.
"I travel often, and so I wanted to be able to...streamline. I didn't want to have any problems," said Galdamez.
According to Connecticut's Department of Motor Vehicles, about 70% of Connecticut license holders have a REAL ID. Commissioner Tony Guerra says that's about 1.7 million people, but he wants to increase this number.
"We at the DMV are trying to make it very simple for everybody out there to get their REAL ID," said Guerra.
To get a REAL ID star, you can go through AAA or your local DMV office with the following documents:
- 1 proof of identification, such as passport or U.S. birth certificate
- 2 proofs of CT residency
- Proof of legal presence for non-U.S. citizens
- Social Security card
- Current driver's license if you're looking to exchange one issued by another state
"It's probably going to take about two or three weeks to get that license because of the verifications that we need to do," said Guerra.
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