What You Need To Know About Arizona's New Real ID Requirement

This has been coming for a long time. If you haven't yet heeded the warnings, here's what you need to know: Real ID will become mandatory for domestic air travel. After years of delays, the deadline is February 1st, or you'll have to pay extra just to get through security.

Your regular Arizona driver's license won’t get you past TSA anymore, at least not without an extra fee.

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ADOT

What A Real ID Actually Is And Why It Exists

As reported by KGUN9, a Real ID, called the Arizona Travel ID, is a driver's license or ID card that meets federal security standards created after 9/11.

If you're not sure if yours is a Real ID, look for a gold star in the corner. If it's there, you're good to go. If not, you'll have to visit the MVD and pay for a new ID.

To get your REAL ID, you'll have to bring some extra documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Arizona residency. ADOT explains that the Travel ID is designed to meet the REAL ID Act of 2005, which sets stricter rules for identification used at airports and federal buildings.

READ: Don't Miss the Deadline, Arizona! Get Your REAL ID Now!

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What Happens If You Show Up To TSA Without A Real ID

Beginning February 1st, if you try to fly with a standard state-issued ID, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) won’t let you through security unless you pay a $45 fee. The TSA says the fee will cover the additional costs of passenger screening and could add an extra 30 minutes to the time it takes a passenger to get through security.

There is a way around the fee: use a passport, passport card, or another federally approved ID to get through security. Or simply get your REAL ID.

READ: Arizona's Bipartisan Coalition Tackles AI's Impact On Youth Well-Being

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Whether TSA Will Charge Passengers And When Fees Begin

Getting a REAL ID is less expensive than obtaining a passport or paying the TSA fee. The only cost is what you pay the MVD for the Travel ID itself, currently $25, according to ADOT. The investment will not only save you money but also save you time and headaches, making an already stressful process a little easier.

Here's one more tip: fill out the MVD form for your ID ahead of time and make an appointment. It'll make everything go more smoothly.

Offbeat adventures: Travel to the coolest hidden wonders in every U.S. state

Fuel your offbeat travel dreams. Stacker found the coolest hidden wonders in all 50 U.S. states (plus D.C.) using data from Atlas Obscura.

[WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter private or abandoned property. By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing.]

Gallery Credit: Sandi Hemmerlein

LOOK: See how much gasoline cost the year you started driving

To find out more about how has the price of gas changed throughout the years, Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a gallon of gasoline for each of the last 84 years. Using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (released in April 2020), we analyzed the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline from 1976 to 2020 along with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for unleaded regular gasoline from 1937 to 1976, including the absolute and inflation-adjusted prices for each year.

Read on to explore the cost of gas over time and rediscover just how much a gallon was when you first started driving.

Gallery Credit: Sophia Crisafulli

Filed Under: Arizona