Since May 7th, 2025, all U.S. citizens have been required to travel by air with a REAL ID, or REAL ID-compliant document. Without one, passengers aren’t permitted to board any domestic flight.
Over the last four months, travelers have been denied through security if missing a REAL ID, attempted to get by with Costco cards instead, and now, some TSA scanners are rejecting legitimate REAL IDs after faulty TSA scanners were recently reported in Maine, according to The Sun.
“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,” said Maine’s Department of the Secretary of State. According to the office, passengers who experience issues with their REAL ID scanning must report it to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for a free replacement.
Apparently the problem stemmed from the state’s instant issue printing machines that has since been resolved. However, other states beyond Maine have experienced scanning complications since the REAL ID’s launch in spring. Earlier this year, REAL ID holders in New Hampshire were forced to do manual ID checks after numerous cards weren’t being recognized by scanners.
Some people have taken to Reddit threads to share their stories and frustrations. One user from Tennessee reported that TSA scanners at Boston’s Logan Airport found a false discrepancy with his REAL ID at the airport, while another individual from Kentucky faced a similar issue at the airport when his facial scan wouldn’t match with his REAL ID.
Although scanning issues can be resolved by manual checks, it doesn’t alleviate travelers’ wasted time facing complications with TSA or going back and forth to the ticket counter when they have the proper identification handy.
Some state residents fortunately don’t have to worry about a REAL ID so long as their state offers Enhanced Driver’s Licenses. Enhanced Driver’s Licenses are different than REAL IDs and are only available in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington.
Otherwise, passengers can enroll in TSA PreCheck Touchless ID to move through security quicker, without having to present a physical ID.