TRAVELERS are having their Real ID driver’s licenses rejected by TSA agents just months after being forced to switch to the new method.
Americans in one state are blocked from checking ahead to see if their ID will be rejected at the airport — instead, they’re asked to report issues to officials after the fact, the state said.
TSA checkpoints require travelers to bring their Real IDs (stock image)[/caption]
Without a Real ID, travelers are required to go through additional security screening (stock image)[/caption]
Maine’s office of the secretary of state told The U.S. Sun that a percentage of its residents’ Real IDs — which have been required for all domestic air travel since May 7, 2025 — are not scanning properly at airport TSA checkpoints around the country.
“A tiny fraction of Maine REAL IDs could not be read by the TSA bar code readers, an issue that very few experienced and appears to be sporadic,” Maine’s Department of the Secretary of State said.
“None experienced a disruption in their travel.”
The TSA told Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles in a recent meeting that while some of the state’s Real ID cards have been affected by the error, “95% of Maine travelers” have a compliant document, according to the secretary of state’s office.
The office also said anyone who has had trouble with their Real IDs should report the issue to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the card will be replaced for free.
The technical error stemmed from one of the state’s instant-issue printing machines, which prints the ID cards in-office, the secretary of state’s office said.
That machine has since been repaired, the office added.
“Most Maine residents received their Maine REAL ID in the mail direct from the factory, which have had no problems with the TSA being able to read the bar code on the back,” the office said.
ISSUES FOR MONTHS
But some social media users have been reporting problems with their Maine Real IDs for months.
Several Reddit users wrote unverified posts in June that their newly enhanced IDs weren’t scanning at airports.
Another Reddit user shared that their IDs didn’t work at gas stations or even when attempting to buy a fishing license.
The TSA encourages travelers to bring an alternate form of identification, like a passport or passport card, in case their ID does not scan properly.
The agency also warns that a temporary driver’s license won’t be accepted as identification.
The Real ID Act, establishing extra security standards for IDs, was first passed by Congress in 2005, but it took twenty years to go into effect.
Statement from the Maine Secretary of State Office
The Maine Secretary of State’s Office issued the following statement to The U.S. Sun:
Recent news reports have given the impression that a widespread issue occurred with the printing of bar codes on Maine REAL IDs. These reports are misleading. The TSA reported to the Maine BMV in a recent meeting that 95% of Maine travelers have a complaint [sic] document and have not experienced any delays or problems. A tiny fraction of Maine REAL IDs could not be read by the TSA bar code readers, an issue that very few experienced and appears to be sporadic. None experienced a disruption in their travel. BMV staff worked with TSA officials to identify the scanning issue and determined the only cards impacted were printed on our one instant issue printing machine. Not every card printed on that machine was difficult to read; only a few sporadic cards were impacted. The machine has since been repaired and the issue resolved.
Most Maine residents received their Maine REAL ID in the mail direct from the factory, which have had no problems with the TSA bring [sic] able to read the bar code on the back. The TSA bar code readers have experienced some trouble reading only a few of those instant issue cards printed in our office, but not all.
Any customer who receives feedback from TSA that their Maine REAL ID could not be read, should contact BMV at license.bmv@maine.gov and a new card will be mailed to them at no cost.
Since the law finally went into effect in May, the advanced IDs have faced a few issues.
REAL ID PROBLEMS
Consumer experts have warned travelers to be wary of scammers trying to steal their identification information.
“The only way to get a REAL ID is by making an in-person trip to the DMV,” Katarina Schmieder with the Better Business Bureau of Upstate New York, saidwhen the new law into effect in May.
“So if you receive a text message or an email offering to handle the process for you, it’s a scam.”
Applying for a REAL ID
The process varies by state, but residents will need a few documents to apply for a REAL ID before the deadline.
No matter the state, the application process can be started online by scanning and uploading the necessary documents, basic information, and Social Security numbers. Once submitted and reviewed, an in-person visit to the DMV or your state’s department agency is necessary for an attendant to verify the documents.
From there, a thumbprint will be recorded in the system, and a photo will be issued for the ID before it’s mailed.
The documents needed are those that show:
- Full legal name (previous driver’s license, passport, etc)
- Date of birth (like a birth certificate, or an official copy of one)
- Social Security number (Social Security card)
- Two proofs of residence (like a utility bill or voter registration card)
- Lawful status
Source: Department of Homeland Security
This also isn’t the first time Real IDs have encountered issues at airport checkpoints.
TSA scanners had trouble recognizing some of New Hampshire’s Real IDs earlier this year, which forced travelers to undergo manual ID checks.
While the TSA has said these manual ID checks should only take around five minutes, that doesn’t account for extra time spent waiting in line.
Meanwhile, the TSA has been rolling out a new pilot program that allows some travelers to move through TSA checkpoints without any formal ID.
Instead of their physical ID, eligible travelers on four major airlines at 14 airports can now use biometric facial recognition as their main form of ID.
