***Breaking News***
THE REAL ID ACT - 6 MONTH DEFERMENT
It was reported in late 2012 that by Jan. 15th, 2013, a Louisiana driver’s license would no longer be accepted at TSA in compliance with the REAL ID act. Louisiana State had to either comply with federal law and issue enhanced driver's licenses or it would require all Louisiana residents to have a passport in order to travel on domestic as well as international flights.
As of December 8th 2012, the Department of Homeland Security has issued a 6 month deferment for states not found to meet the standards of acceptable Identification by January 15th, 2013. This deferment will allow Federal Agencies to continue to accept their licenses and identification cards for boarding commercial aircraft and other official purposes so long as the deferment is active.
THE DEFERMENT BEGINS JANUARY 15, 2013 AND WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS.
The exact end date, as well as the process for individual states to request continued deferments, will be part of an announcement detailing the schedule for phased enforcement of the Act. Regardless of this current deferment or any additional extensions that may occur, Associated Travel does urge its valued customers to consider a obtaining a passport in advance of any Federal Mandates that in the future may require all travelers over the age of 18 to use them in order to travel. Passports are valid for 10 years and can be obtained at the passport office, here in Lafayette. For more information on obtaining a passport, please click the link below.
http://www.usvisaconnection.com/passport/lafayettelouisianapassport.htm
For further information regarding the REAL ID 6 Month Deferment please click on the links provided below:
http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-faq-public
http://www.dhs.gov/real-id-faq-determinations
http://www.dhs.gov/secure-drivers-licenses
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TSA ACCEPTABLE ID'S: Identity Matters
Adult passengers (18 and over) are required to show a U.S. federal or state-issued photo ID in order to be allowed to go through the checkpoint and onto their flight.
We understand passengers occasionally arrive at the airport without an ID, due to lost items or inadvertently leaving them at home. Not having an ID, does not necessarily mean a passenger won't be allowed to fly. If passengers are willing to provide additional information, we have other means of substantiating someone's identity, like using publicly available databases.
Passengers who are cleared through this process may be subject to additional screening. Passengers whose identity cannot be verified by TSA may not be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint or onto an airplane.
Acceptable IDs include:
- U.S. passport
- U.S. passport card
- DHS "Trusted Traveler" cards (Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST)
- U.S. Military ID (active duty or retired military and their dependents, and DOD civilians)
- Permanent Resident Card
- Border Crossing Card
- DHS-designated enhanced driver's license
- Drivers Licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
- Native American Tribal Photo ID
- An airline or airport-issued ID (if issued under a TSA-approved security plan)
- A foreign government-issued passport
- Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) card
- Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)
- Non-US/Canadian citizens are not required to carry their passports if they have documents issued by the U.S. government such as Permanent Resident Cards. Those who do not should be carrying their passports while visiting the U.S.
This standardization of the list of accepted documents better aligns TSA with other DHS components, including Customs and Border Protection, and REAL ID benchmarks.
Click here for more information.