The Real Truth on REAL IDs

Real ID may feel a little like “real bull,” but one thing’s certain—you cannot pass through TSA with your Costco card. The deadline to gate-check your way to vacation with a REAL ID (or a passport) has technically come and gone—but stories of traveler confusion are still flying. From bizarre rejections to actual TSA posts prompted by too many people flashing their club store cards, the drama runs deep. “We love hot dogs & 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,” TSA said in a June post on social media.

Still, many flyers arrive at checkpoints only to discover that having a REAL ID doesn’t seem to matter. That’s not exactly wrong—but it’s not exactly right either. According to TSA’s latest language, “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 noncompliance, may be directed to a separate area and may receive additional screening… includ[ing] TSA PreCheck passengers.” This isn’t punishment; it’s public education in action. But make no mistake: The soft pass won’t last forever. At some (check)point, if your license doesn’t sport that tiny gold star (or you’re not packing a passport), you won’t be cleared for takeoff.

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