With the REAL ID deadline arriving this Wednesday, many Americans remain unprepared to board domestic flights for summer vacations without a passport. Despite more than a dozen states reporting over 90% compliance, others trail behind, leaving gaps in readiness that could disrupt air travel plans.
States with high REAL ID compliance include Texas (98%), Mississippi (97%), Hawaii, and Utah (96%). Florida, Georgia, Colorado, and Maryland also report strong numbers. States such as Washington, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, and D.C. are also showing high numbers.
New Jersey, despite low REAL ID adoption, leads the nation in passport ownership at 69%, according to the Center for American Progress and Swift Passport Services. Other passport-heavy states include California, New York, Massachusetts, Alaska, and Delaware. All, except Delaware, host major international airports such as JFK, Logan, and Ted Stevens. Delaware, though small, benefits from proximity to Philadelphia International Airport.
In contrast, states with the fewest passport holders—West Virginia, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Alabama—generally lack major airport hubs. Residents in those areas often rely on Amtrak travel, which does not require a REAL ID for boarding. Stations in Harpers Ferry, Jackson, Ashland, and Birmingham serve these communities.
REAL ID cards display a star in the corner, confirming the holder has presented additional documents like a Social Security card. They will be mandatory for commercial flights and entry into most federal facilities, excluding places like post offices. The law was enacted following the September 11 attacks but has faced repeated delays by multiple presidential administrations.
Dr. Magdalena Krajewska, a political science professor at Wingate University and expert on national ID systems, told her campus news outlet, “I feel like all of us who were alive during that time, all of us who witnessed this as it was happening, thought the U.S. would do everything to prevent something similar from happening again.”
