Heads up! Travel and Leisure recently announced that gone are the days when a passport was reserved for international travel.  Beginning January 22, 2018, that will change for residents of nine states who will no longer be able to get past TSA security checkpoints with their state issued driver’s licenses to travel domestically but rather will need a passport, permanent resident card/green card or a military ID.

It’s called the Real ID Act of 2005, and apparently it states that state-issued IDs from these nine states do not meet the minimum security standards of the federal government:

• Kentucky
• Maine
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• Montana
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Washington

With just a few months until the Real ID Act goes into full effect, it is time to start planning now and look into getting your passport, especially if you have honeymoon or travel plans on the horizon.

Some states have started working on offering federally approved issued IDs that would not require a passport for domestic air travel but you’ll certainly want to check with your local government office to see if there is a different type of ID you can apply for.

So consider this your official PSA, if this applies to you and start applying for a passport now!  2018 isn’t too far away and there will be a last-minute rush for sure.