15 Things You Can Use If You Don't Have a Louisiana REAL ID

BATON ROUGE, La. (KPEL-FM) - The deadline for enhanced security identification required to fly in Louisiana and the United States is less than a week away.

Starting on May 7, only state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards that meet security requirements set forth by the 2005 REAL ID Act will be allowed for official purposes, including flying on board commercial aircraft.

The enhanced ID is known as REAL ID, and those IDs look like a regular driver's license but are differentiated by a gold star near the top right corner.

Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles

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Proper identification will be required for all adult airline passengers age 18 and older. But, if you don't have a REAL ID yet, and you want to fly, you do have other options.

The Transportation Safety Administration has released a list of alternatives if you're traveling without a REAL ID.

Acceptable Alternatives are:

State-issued Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) or Enhanced ID (EID)
U.S. passport
U.S. passport card
DHS trusted traveler cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
An acceptable photo ID issued by a federally recognized Tribal Nation/Indian Tribe, including Enhanced Tribal Cards (ETCs).
HSPD-12 PIV card
Foreign government-issued passport
Canadian provincial driver’s license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card
Transportation worker identification credential
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
U.S. Merchant Mariner Credential
Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC)

What happens if you don't have proper identification?

If you are traveling and don't have the correct identification, you can expect delays and other issues.

“Passengers who do not yet have their REAL ID or another TSA acceptable form of ID can expect to face delays, additional screening, and the possibility of not being allowed into the security checkpoint. This includes TSA PreCheck passengers,” TSA said.

Those without acceptable identification may be asked to complete a process to verify their identity, and that includes collecting information such as name and current address. If that's accepted, you can be allowed into the screening area where you could be subject to additional procedures.

Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Can I still get a REAL ID in Louisiana?

Absolutely. And the process to obtain a REAL ID is quite simple.

To get a REAL ID-compliant license in Louisiana, individuals can visit the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles website, where they can review the process for getting a REAL ID license and make an appointment to bring certain documents to a nearby OMV office to prove U.S. citizenship and Louisiana residency.

Find out what documents you will need to bring to your local OMV when applying for your REAL ID at this link.

Filed Under: REAL ID