Homeland Security sign for REAL ID at entrance to passenger TSA security area, West Palm Beach, Florida.Lindsey Nicholson | UCG | Universal Images Group | Getty ImagesTravelers take note: The federal government says it will start enforcing Real ID requirements at U.S. airports starting May 7 — for real this time.That means travelers will need a Real ID-compliant license or other accepted form of identification like a passport to get through security before a domestic U.S. flight.The Transportation Security Administration said 81% of people approaching airport checkpoints already have Real ID-compliant identification, though it varies by state.Federal and state officials in recent weeks have urged travelers to make appointments at motor vehicle departments to update licenses and other ID cards before the deadline, though availability has become scarce.”Make your appointments now as quick as possible,” John Essig, the Transportation Security Administration’s federal security director for New York City-area airports, said at a news conference at LaGuardia Airport earlier this month. “We certainly don’t want to hold up anyone without Real ID at the checkpoint,” Essig said.Signs reminding travelers at U.S. reports to apply for a Real ID have been up for years, though the deadline has been pushed back repeatedly. A TSA officer this week was handing out flyers to travelers with a QR code for Real ID information at LaGuardia Airport.Airlines have also been reminding travelers of the new requirements through customer emails and other channels. Frontier Airlines has a gray banner running along its website informing travelers of the Real ID requirements.What is a Real ID?A Real ID is an identification card, like a driver’s license or state-issued ID, that is compliant with federal rules initiated in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Those hijackers were using state IDs and driver’s licenses, some of which were obtained fraudulently.In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act, allowing the federal government to set standards for state IDs. It was originally supposed to go into effect …
