If you ever needed a reason to get your passport, the new laws in place for the REAL ID Act is one. Implemented by the Department of Homeland Security this year, the REAL ID Act has caused some states to require a passport for domestic air travel.
The REAL ID Act requires state-issued driver’s licenses to meet new regulations. The states that do not comply with these regulations must present a passport at airport security of will be turned away.
If you live in one of the following states, you must have a U.S. passport to travel domestically:
– Kentucky
– Maine
– Minnesota
– Missouri
– Montana
– Oklahoma
– Pennsylvania
– South Carolina
– Washington
The processing time for a passport is six to eight weeks; if you are planning any travel for the summer, you need to start your processing now. Visit the U.S. State Department’s website to learn how to apply and begin your process.
-Lissa Poirot