• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
What is REAL ID to fly on a plane as TSA clarifies Costco cards confusion

Home> News> Travel

Published 18:21 9 Jun 2025 GMT+1

What is REAL ID to fly on a plane as TSA clarifies Costco cards confusion

It's vital to know ahead of your next flight

Ellie Kemp

Ellie Kemp

As the TSA confirms Americans cannot use their Costco membership cards to board domestic flights, let's take a look at what REAL ID is and why you need it.

Getting on a plane can be stressful, whether you're traveling on a short-haul flight or even all the way to Hawaii.

When you've got check-in and security to worry about, you most certainly don't want to be delayed for having the wrong form of ID.

And as of May 2025, US citizens have had to ensure their IDs are REAL compliant in order to travel.

Advert

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been forced to clarify that people can't use their Costco membership card to board a flight either, as per a post on the TSA’s Facebook page.

The government agency posted on June 4: "We love hotdogs & rotisserie chickens as much as the next person but please stop telling people their Costco card counts as a REAL ID because it absolutely does not."

Elsewhere on its website, the TSA explained exactly what REAL ID is and why it's been put into motion.

We all want our airport experiences to to run as smoothly as possible (Ijubaphoto/Getty Images)
We all want our airport experiences to to run as smoothly as possible (Ijubaphoto/Getty Images)

Advert

The REAL ID Act was actually passed in Congress back in 2005, enacting the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government 'set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses'.

The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards.

So, people need them not only to board federally regulated commercial aircraft, but to access certain federal facilities as well as nuclear power plants.

And as of May 7, 2025, state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs - that are not REAL ID compliant - are no longer accepted as valid forms of identification at airports.

What is a REAL ID?

REAL ID in airports came into force in May (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
REAL ID in airports came into force in May (Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Advert

REAL IDs are subject to more enhanced security standards, including documentation like birth certificates, proof of Social Security number, and proof of US residency.

They are marked with a star at the top of the card, indicating compliance with federal standards.

So, passengers need to travel with a REAL ID, or an acceptable alternative form of ID, like a passport.

"Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening," the TSA warns.

Advert

"This includes TSA PreCheck passengers."

How to get a REAL ID

It's simple enough to apply for a REAL ID (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
It's simple enough to apply for a REAL ID (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The TSA advises visiting your state’s driver’s licensing agency website to find out exactly what documentation is required to obtain a REAL ID.

Advert

To obtain a REAL ID, you must provide your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two documents that prove your address of principal residence, and proof of lawful status.

States may impose additional requirements, so check with your state’s driver’s licensing agency website, before visiting them in person, for additional guidance and assistance.

Featured Image Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Topics: Travel, News, US News

Ellie Kemp
Ellie Kemp

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

8 hours ago
10 hours ago
  • 8 hours ago

    Elon Musk makes shocking announcement he's bringing back Vine but there's a twist

    Vine is back more than five years after it was shut down

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    Hulk Hogan's family release statement following his death aged 71

    The 71-year-old will be fondly remembered by wrestling fans across the globe

    Celebrity
  • 8 hours ago

    Expert explains what actually happens to your body during sleep paralysis

    "It literally feels like all the evil of the universe is condensed into a bubble, and it's in your bedroom"

    News
  • 10 hours ago

    Sacha Baron Cohen shocks fans with major body transformation as he explains how he did it

    Borat got ripped!

    Celebrity
  • TSA teases ending liquid restrictions in carry-ons just one week after eliminating shoes-off rule
  • TSA approves new ID for iPhone users at airport security but it comes with a catch
  • Chilling details emerge as plane owned by renowned chemist disappears minutes before planned landing
  • Plane crash investigator reveals what actually happens if you don't turn airplane mode on when you fly