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Federal REAL ID rules require applicants to prove identity, date of birth, Social Security number, two proofs of residence, and lawful status; for U.S. citizens that lawful-status requirement is satis...
New reporting based on statements from Homeland Security and TSA personnel says that nearly $700 million in U.S. cash was flagged in passenger luggage leaving Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airpor...
Twelve to fifteen U.S. jurisdictions already let residents store state IDs or mobile driver’s licenses (mDLs) in smartphone wallets or state apps for some official uses, and at least 14 states are acc...
U.S. citizens are not under a single, across‑the‑board legal duty to carry identification at all times; instead federal law requires presenting ID in specific circumstances such as boarding domestic a...
There is no federal mandatory “digital ID” in the United States today; federal action has focused on guidance, pilot acceptance (e.g., TSA checkpoints) and creating task forces rather than mandating a...
States require original documents that prove identity, age and U.S. citizenship or lawful status to issue REAL ID credentials — commonly a U.S. passport, a certified U.S. birth certificate, a Certific...
Travelers’ ability to “opt out” of biometric passport scans varies sharply by country and by the law or policy at the point of collection: in the United States most reporting and DHS materials say U.S...
Travelers without a REAL ID (or whose REAL ID is expired) must present another TSA-accepted credential such as a valid U.S. passport, passport card, DHS trusted traveler card, military ID, or certain ...
State-issued Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDLs) are explicitly designed to prove both identity and U.S. citizenship for border travel and are recognized by federal agencies as acceptable alternatives t...
Yes — federal immigration agents have been present and active at multiple U.S. airports in recent months: routine ICE flights operate out of some airports and agents have been conducting document chec...
Federal law does not require every person to carry an ID while simply walking around in public, but federal rules do require federally accepted identification for specific “official purposes” — most p...
States generally let residents refuse a REAL ID — your standard state license continues to work for driving, voting and many everyday uses — but after May 7, 2025 federal checkpoints (airports, some f...
ICE’s specific list of state-issued IDs it will accept for immigration checks is not enumerated in the documents provided; available sources discuss TSA acceptance of state digital and physical IDs at...
Yes — individuals can decline a REAL ID and keep a non‑REAL ID state license, but after May 7, 2025 that non‑REAL ID credential will not be acceptable for many federal purposes (including boarding dom...
Available reporting and guidance in the provided sources does not offer a single, definitive list of “alternative IDs” that ICE will accept in lieu of a passport or Green Card; instead, community lega...
Enhanced Driver’s Licenses (EDL/EID) are state-issued IDs that explicitly prove U.S. citizenship and are approved by DHS for land and sea crossings to neighboring countries, while REAL ID cards are st...
Airlines keep multiple records that can show whether a passenger was booked and/or flew: reservation/booking records and ticket receipts, which serve as proof of purchase and are required for name-mat...
There is no federal law that generally forces U.S. citizens to carry an ID at all times; however, federal rules require a REAL ID–compliant state license or another acceptable identity document (for e...
The REAL ID Act requires that federally accepted identification used to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities meet minimum security standards, but it does not eliminate passports ...
Immigration agents can ask for and rely on identification during encounters, and state driver's licenses and IDs are a common form of ID that ICE and other federal agencies use or access . TSA accepts...