What to Know
- Come next year, if you plan to take a domestic flight you will need specific forms of your license to board the plane
- New Jersey residents who want to board an airplane will soon need to have a gold star in the upper right corner of their driver’s license
- New York residents will need either a gold star or get an enhanced driver's license
Do you have a gold star? If not, you will soon not be able to board a domestic flight.
Come next year, if you plan to take a domestic flight you will need specific forms of your license to board the plane.
The TSA is rolling out new requirements nationwide and travelers in New Jersey and New York are among the impacted.
New Jersey residents who want to board an airplane will soon need to have a gold star in the upper right corner of their driver’s license, indicating that it is a REAL ID credential or they will need another form of approved identification to board their flight or enter a secure federal facility, according to the TSA.
The gold star indicates that it meets federal regulations that establish minimum security standards.
Local
New Jersey residents have the option to upgrade their license or stick with an older standard driver’s license, the TSA says. However, a standard credential—without the gold star—will not be valid to board a flight or to access secure federal facilities, including military bases and some federal offices.
New York residents will also need a REAL ID or an enhanced driver’s license if they want to use it to get on a domestic flight, enter certain federal buildings or enter military base, according to the TSA.
Just like New Jersey’s upgraded version, New York’s REAL ID driver’s licenses have a star in the upper right corner. The enhanced driver’s license has a U.S. flag on the bottom right of the license.
The upgrades will be required starting Oct. 1, 2020.
The new licenses can be obtained by visiting your local Department of Motor Vehicles office.
