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| Date | Holiday |
|---|---|
| Tuesday, January 1 | New Year’s Day |
| Monday, January 21 | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. |
| Monday, February 18* | Washington’s Birthday |
| Monday, May 27 | Memorial Day |
| Thursday, July 4 | Independence Day |
| Monday, September 2 | Labor Day |
| Monday, October 14 | Columbus Day |
| Monday, November 11 | Veterans Day |
| Thursday, November 28 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Wednesday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
Everyone knows that you need a boarding pass and driver’s license to pass airport security. It’s always been this way, but next year, some travelers may also need a passport card.
Starting on Jan. 22, 2018, travelers from a handful of states may have to show an alternate ID to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at the airport. This is because the REAL ID Act, which was passed by Congress in 2005, will go into effect.
Essentially, this act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses (and ID cards), and prohibits the TSA from accepting cards that don’t meet the standards. Several states have requested extensions to become compliant, many of which expired on Oct. 10. New extensions may be granted, but for now, the grace period for states ends on Jan. 22.
States that are compliant with the REAL ID Act.
Currently, only 26 states are fully compliant, so residents of those areas can continue to use their state-issued driver’s license when passing through airport security. The remaining states, including New York, California, Illinois and Louisiana, are currently under review. This means that they may be granted an extension and given more time to become compliant. Or it could mean that residents of these states will have to use an alternative form of ID when flying in 2018.
Alternative forms of ID
The easiest back-up ID option is your passport. The problem, is that only 36% of Americans have a valid passport, according to the U.S. Department of State.
At $135, passports can be expensive and unnecessary, especially if you have no desire to travel internationally. In this case, a passport card may make the most sense. For starters, it’s cheaper. First-time adult applicants can get one for $55, and the cost is $40 for children. The card is valid for 10 years (5 years if you’re 16 or younger), after which a renewal will cost $30.
Another perk of a passport card that makes it better than a license is that it allows for some international travel. Cardholders can use the wallet-sized document to re-enter the U.S. at border-crossings or ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.
The TSA has a full list of all identification that will be accepted, but some of the more popular alternatives include:
- 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
Time is of the essence
It’s unclear if any states will be granted an extension, so if your state isn’t currently compliant, it’s time to consider some other options. A passport can take four to six weeks to arrive, while a passport card can take up to three weeks. Applying now means shorter wait times, compared with next year when procrastinators will be looking for new IDs before their spring trips.
Even if your state does get an extension, it doesn’t hurt to just get it out of the way. Beginning Oct. 1, 2020, you can only use a REAL ID compliant driver’s license or another acceptable form of identification for domestic air travel.
Article was edited to clarify that passport cards can only be used at border-crossings or ports-of-entry.
Brittany is a reporter at Yahoo Finance.
The Los Angeles Passport Agency will observe the following list of holidays this year and be closed.
| Monday, February 20** | Washington’s Birthday |
| Monday, May 29 | Memorial Day |
| Tuesday, July 4 | Independence Day |
| Monday, September 4 | Labor Day |
| Monday, October 9 | Columbus Day |
| Friday, November 10*** | Veterans Day |
| Thursday, November 23 | Thanksgiving Day |
| Monday, December 25 | Christmas Day |
As of November 1st, 2016, customers applying for or renewing their passport must remove all eye-glasses or eye-wear for their passport photo.
Last year, more than 200,000 passport customers submitted poor quality photos which we couldn’t accept. The #1 problem was eye-glasses and/or eye-gear. We had to put their passport applications on hold because we couldn’t clearly identify them from their photo.
If the photo of you in your unexpired passport has eye-glasses or eye-gear, don’t worry about it. You don’t have to get a new passport now. Next time you renew your passport, though, you’ll have to take your eye-glasses or eye-gear off.
This policy change helps us and it helps you. We can see you more clearly now and you will experience fewer passport application delays and can move faster through U.S. ports of entry. Don’t get us wrong, we love your eye-glasses or eye-gear, but take them off for your passport photo.*
For more information on passport photos, check out our photo requirements.
*If you must wear eye-glasses or eye-gear for medical reasons, you’ll need to obtain and submit a signed statement with your passport application from a medical professional or health practitioner.
The U.S. Department of State will no longer add visa pages into U.S. passports beginning January 1, 2016. Previously, U.S. passport holders had the option to pay for the insertion of additional 24-page visa inserts when valid passports lacked adequate space for entry or exit visa stamps. The decision to discontinue this service was made to enhance the security of the passport and to abide by international passport standards.
To mitigate the impact on frequent travelers, the Department began issuing 52-page passports to all applicants outside the United States starting October 1, 2014 for no additional cost. Applicants within the United States may choose a 28-page or 52-page book.
Requests for additional 24-page visa inserts will only be accepted until December 31, 2015. Beginning January 1, 2016, applicants in need of additional pages in their valid passports must obtain a new passport.
For more information on how or where to apply, please visit Travel.State.Gov/ApplyEarly or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778/1-888-874-7793 (TTY/TTD).
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