Pennsylvanians could end up spending millions of dollars obtaining passports if they want to fly next year.
Starting in January, Transportation Security Agency officials are scheduled to stop accepting Pennsylvania driver’s licenses as acceptable identification for boarding commercial flights. The looming deadline results from the state’s noncompliance with the REAL ID Act, which Congress passed in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.
State officials this year pledged to solve the ID compliance problems. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune Review, the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania estimates that failure to do so could see millions of Pennsylvanians spend over $900 million obtaining passports if they want to fly.
The council estimated that between 2.4 million to 5.8 million Pennsylvania residents who travel once per year will need to acquire passports if the state fails REAL ID compliance. First-time passport applicants older than 16 pay $110, plus a $25 “execution fee.
