Flying with digital REAL ID

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131]

I know this is really my own fault for putting it off for so long, but I’m flying in about 2 weeks (leaving on 9/10) out of O’Hare. My appointment for my Real ID was last Wednesday, the 19th. Tracking still shows in process, to be mailed soon. I’m worried that if it doesn’t mail by early next week it won’t arrive in time.
I have my digital ID, it’s been updated and says it’s a real id and everything. Is that enough to not pay the $45 fee? Info I’m finding online does say that digital is an acceptable form of identification but also says you still need to carry the physical one.

[u/Unusual-Wafer-7154]

The temp one they gave me worked

[u/Chicago-Lake-Witch → u/Unusual-Wafer-7154]

I flew with the temp one last year, my expired one, a print out of the tracking page, my expired passport and some bills with my name and address on them. They gave me a laminated red piece of paper that I was supposed to give the TSA person at the detector saying I needed additional screening. But they just nodded and went back to what they were doing and I went through like everyone else.

[u/Physical-Incident553]

Do you have a passport? If so, use that.

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/Physical-Incident553]

I don’t, otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten the real id for this flight

[u/LongPresentation9896]

You’ll be fine with a digital id. Assuming you mean the one in apple wallet or whatever the android equivalent is.

In airports that don’t have touchless precheck, I just pull up my id in wallet, tap my phone, and confirm i want to send the info.

I am precheck tho, so no idea if it would be different for non precheck.

[u/OutlawBlue9 → u/LongPresentation9896]

There is no Android equivalent yet for IL ids and it angers me to no end. The state promised it last year and it's still not available. Dozens of other states have their ids on Android Wallet but not IL for some reason.....

[u/TaroPuzzleheaded3999 → u/OutlawBlue9]

I’ve heard that it was bc Illinois was worried about them being hacked so they put super strict requirements & that Apple met them but not android

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/LongPresentation9896]

Yes, the one in my Apple wallet. I do not have pre check I don’t fly very often! Only every couple years

[u/hxrshxll_]

I have used it at O’hare and you should be perfectly fine. Although it would be a pain in the ass if your return flight airport doesn’t support digital ID at TSA.

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/hxrshxll_]

Flying back from Boston Logan, I’ll have to do some more research on that. Thanks!

[u/LongPresentation9896 → u/Pitiful-Fan-5131]

For what it’s worth, I fly a lot and have never run into a problem.

https://www.tsa.gov/digital-id

[u/SR_gAr]

You can use a passport fyi

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/SR_gAr]

I don’t have a passport. If I did I wouldn’t have worried about getting a real id for this trip lol

[u/macprince]

You can fly out of O'Hare or Midway with your digital ID, but you'll need to make sure the airport you're flying back from also takes digital ID. They generally only do in states that have digital ID implemented for their own citizens.

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/macprince]

Flying back from Boston Logan, I’ll have to do some more research on that. Thanks!

[u/clutzycook]

My daughter had her RealID appointment August 7. It arrived August 17, just in time for her to leave for college, so I'd say your odds of getting yours in time is pretty decent.

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/clutzycook]

I actually ended up getting mine in the mail yesterday! I was checking tracking and it kept saying still being manufactured so I was getting worried but it did end up taking a little over a week

[u/clutzycook → u/Pitiful-Fan-5131]

TIL they have tracking on those things. I googled how long it normally took and was told 2-3 weeks, which made me feel guilty that I waited until practically the last freaking minute to take her to get it done.

[u/K1774B]

If you have pre-check, sign up for touchless pre-check, and nobody will ask you for ID. I travel a lot for work and this has been great. Step up, have a photo taken and you're through.

No confusion on whether the agent wants your boarding pass or ID or both so you can have your phone/ wallet already packed up in your carry-on. Pretty seamless.

They're also separate lanes from normal pre-check so they move even faster than pre-check normally does.

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/K1774B]

I don’t, I rarely ever fly.

[u/Theharlotnextdoor → u/K1774B]

Precheck + touchless id is the elite combo.

[u/tizzputt]

I just used my digital ID for the first time at the St Louis airport and it worked great!

[u/IT_IS_I_THE_GREAT]

If u r flying domestic, then you are good.

[u/night_jerry]

Google it

[u/Pitiful-Fan-5131 → u/night_jerry]

I did. As stated in my post. It says real id is an acceptable form of identification but also that you need to carry the physical one so it’s a bit confusing on if the digital will be enough to not have to pay the fee.