Charlotte Douglas International Airport reports smooth security lines on first day of Real ID requirement; passengers face minimal delays despite new identification rules at world's sixth-busiest airport

May 7, 2025 (Charlotte Observer) –

On the first day of Real ID requirements at Charlotte’s airport, security lines were moving briskly early 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 Wednesday morning.

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.

You’re headed to the airport without a REAL ID. Here’s what to expect.

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.

Do you really need a REAL ID in NC? Here’s what you can (& can’t) do with it

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 will 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 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.

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