Day 1 of Real ID at Charlotte airport: What’s happening now at TSA security lines
On the first day of Real ID requirements at Charlotte’s airport, security lines were moving briskly Wednesday, even as passengers seemed to have brought patience with them as well as their luggage.
As of Wednesday, regular state-issued driver’s licenses are no longer acceptable for passengers trying to catch flights at U.S. airports. It has to be a “Real ID” — or another acceptable form of identification.
If any airport around the Carolinas was set up for potential chaos over the new requirements, it was Charlotte Douglas International Airport — the sixth busiest airport in the world for takeoffs and landings.
But that was not the case as the day unfolded.
In fact, Charlotte resident Kayona Harris spent much more time at an N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles Office than at a security line as she prepared to go to Orlando, Florida, for a work conference. “It took me five hours to get it at the DMV. And I had to stand outside,” she said while holding her Real ID near a security checkpoint.
“I thought the lines would be a little bit longer today, but it doesn’t seem to be bad,” she said.
Harris also wanted to be prepared just in case she had to visit a government building. “There’s no telling what else you need it for,” Horne said “Might as well get it out the way.”
It appeared to be a typical mid-week day at the airport, as people moved through security without big lines stacking up. The lines got a little busier as the day went on, but again, that’s not unusual either.
Not willing to wait at DMV for Real ID
Tony McCarty and his wife Karyn Oetting waited to catch a flight to Lisbon for vacation with their passports, instead of Real IDs.
The couple from Wilmington, N.C., had made attempts to get one. But the six- to eight-hour wait times at their local DMV were too long, even with appointments.
”Giving up a whole day to do it just didn’t make sense when we have passports,” McCarty said.
They laughed about the inconvenience the went through and being able to renew an ID online in the parking lot. ”It just didn’t not happen for us,” Oetting said. But they will try again, even if they have to head to a smaller DMV out of town if it has shorter wait times.
Do you really need a Real ID in NC?
After being delayed multiple times, the Real ID enforcement is finally here for travelers at airports throughout the U.S. Congress passed the Real ID law in 2005 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Real IDs are similar to driver’s licenses and ID cards, but they are marked with a star in the upper right corner.
Greg Hawko, the federal security director for Charlotte Douglas, said everybody that came through the airport was processed through the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint with wait times that were less than five minutes at all of the CLT checkpoints.
Additional screenings were conducted for people without a Real ID or another acceptable form.
People who choose to get a REAL ID-compliant ID card may obtain it at an NC DMV driver’s license office. You’ll need proof of identity, Social Security number, North Carolina residency, and insurance coverage for a driver’s license.
What to expect at the airport without Real ID
But passengers without a Real ID can still board planes — for now, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said. She said people without federally recognized documents would face additional screening at security.
“For most people, it’s going to be business as usual,” Hawko said. “You may wait a few minutes longer, but you will be allowed to get on your flight. You will not miss any travel or anything like that.”
There also are alternative documents you can bring.
This includes a U.S. passport or card, an ID from the U.S. Department of Defense, Global Entry card or a state-issued enhanced driver’s license, according to the Transportation Security Administration. A list of acceptable document are available online at www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/identification.
If you don’t have an approved document, a TSA officer will ask passengers to complete an ID verification process, according to TSA. If an identity is confirmed, passengers can go through a screening checkpoint, which may include more screening.
“It will not hold people up for extended periods of time,” Hawko said.
Passengers will not be allowed to enter a security checkpoint if they don’t provide acceptable ID, decline to cooperate with the verification process or if an identity can’t be confirmed.
More on CLT airport
Charlotte airport officials said they have worked with TSA, the North and South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and other airports for the Real ID transition.
The airport also worked with TSA to enhance the checkpoint experience and to improve passenger flow. CLT opened checkpoint two in March, which helps TSA screen 600 more people an hour, including via PreCheck.
On average, TSA screens 35,000 people a day at Charlotte Douglas — that’s roughly the equivalent of the total population of Salisbury.
Charlotte Douglas had 596,583 flights last year — an 11% increase from 2023 when the airport was seventh internationally.
Charlotte is the second largest hub for the Fort Worth, Texas-based American Airlines, which is nearing capacity at the airport. It accounts for about 90% of all flights out of the airport.
The airline offers thousands of daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries.
This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 12:00 PM.
