Real ID era begins at airports; San Diego airport officials encourage early arrivals

What a California-issued REAL ID looks like Photo courtesy of Department of Motor Vehicles With the Transportation Protection Administration set to require Real ID for commercial airline passengers Wednesday San Diego International Airport leaders are advising travelers to arrive early and be prepared Starting Wednesday TSA officers will require passengers age or older to present a Real ID or other acceptable form of identification to board a flight We encourage passengers to plan ahead if they intend to fly out of SAN on May and bring proper identification Kimberly Becker president and chief executive officer of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority stated in a comment More than passengers depart from SAN each day and with the beginning of Real ID enforcement we anticipate doable delays To ensure a smooth experience through SAN we advise travelers to arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours for international flights The Airport Authority will have extra staff on duty Wednesday to help address traveler concerns bureaucrats commented To determine if a California driver s license is Real ID-compliant travelers are advised to look for a golden bear with a star in the top right corner Those who aren t sure can check with the California Department of Motor Vehicles Other acceptable forms of identification include U S and foreign passports and passport cards Department of Defense identification including those issued to dependents a permanent resident card edge transiting card or photo ID from a federally recognized Tribal Nation among others A full list can be uncovered at tsa gov passage security- screening identification Once enforcement begins passengers who do not present Real ID or another TSA-acceptable form of identification can expect to face delays additional screening and the possibility of not being allowed into the protection checkpoint the airport comment commented For people who still need to obtain a Real ID state Department of Motor Van offices will open one hour early four days a week through June to serve appointment-only customers seeking the federally mandated cards This includes four DMV offices in San Diego County which will open at a m instead of a m on Mondays Tuesdays Thursdays and Fridays and devote the early hour exclusively to patrons with Real ID appointments On Wednesdays DMV office hours at the participating locations will be from a m to p m The hour-early offices in San Diego County are El Cajon Graves Ave Graves Avenue Poway District Rd District Road Clairemont Derrick Dr and Derrick Drive San Marcos Rancheros Dr Rancheros Drive U S Department of Homeland Shield Secretary Kristi Noem speaking at a congressional hearing Tuesday noted the agency is hoping for a smooth transition to the Real ID requirement What will happen the subsequent day is folks will come through the line and show their ID and if it s not compliant they may be diverted to a different line have an extra step But people will be allowed to fly she revealed We will make sure that it is as seamless as viable and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary