REAL ID deadline comes and goes – airports report business as usual

Despite fears of first-day chaos over the new REAL ID requirement, airports reported smooth sailing Wednesday, with no major disruptions tied to the rollout, according to security officials.

“We didn’t see long lines,” one passenger arriving at South Carolina’s Greeneville-Spartanburg Airport from Washington-Dulles told a local reporter. “It was a walk in the park.”

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers said in April that about 20% of the public still lacks REAL ID compliance. When asked whether this could affect travel times starting Wednesday, she said it’s “reasonable” to expect travelers may need to arrive early.

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“I am extremely concerned there will be long lines and a lot of confusion,” Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst and president of Atmosphere Research Group, added in comments to travel website The Points Guy ahead of the rollout. Meanwhile, Philadelphia International Airport urged passengers to arrive two-and-a-half hours early for domestic flights Wednesday. 

However, reporters at various airports across the country found that the delays some feared never came to fruition, and wait times were minimal. Airport and security officials confirmed their reports.

A split photo featuring young travelers showing their ID cards to TSA agents on the first day of REAL ID enforcement, next to a REAL ID sign and travelers at the airport in Denver, Colorado. (Fox News/AP/Getty)

“We are pleased to share that the TSA lines are moving efficiently,” Nashville International Airport said Wednesday. “Smooth operations this morning,” Baltimore-Washington International Airport reported.    

“Smooth” operations were reported by airports and security officials alike. There was an increased presence of Homeland Security officials at Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, but no complaints were reported to Fox News reporters on the ground there from passengers.

Homeland Security officers at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Wednesday marked the first day when REAL ID was required for Americans wanting to fly. (Robin Rayne for Fox News Digital)

Travelers on social media and in news reports shared stories of getting through airport security without a REAL ID, or its compliant equivalent such as a passport, which federal officials indicated would be possible with additional screening ahead of Wednesday’s rollout.

Several passengers without compliant identification were given a notice indicating their IDs were not REAL ID compliant, and they should expect delays the next time they travel if they don’t have one.

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Passengers line up for the security checkpoint at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (Robin Rayne for Fox News Digital)

The federal government’s REAL ID requirement is two decades in the making and has faced several delays over the years.

The law stemmed from long-held concerns from federal officials about false identification, but gained momentum and was enacted following the 9/11 attacks.

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“REAL ID will keep us more secure. It gives us more information so that we know who is traveling on our federal transportation systems and our airlines,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday in a video from Washington-Reagan International Airport.

“Thank you everybody for all of your cooperation, and we’re looking to make America more secure in following our federal law.”