If You're From This East Coast State, You'll Want To Bring Your Passport To The Airport

Imagine showing up at the airport, walking up to the gate agent, handing over your shiny new license ... and then watching the barcode reader struggle to recognize it. That's enough to give anyone pre-flight anxiety, right? Well, it's become a recent reality for far too many Maine residents. According to a recent report by The Sun Journal, travelers' Real ID — those upgraded driver's licenses or state IDs that meet federal security standards — haven't been scanning correctly at TSA checkpoints. "A tiny fraction of Maine Real IDs could not be read by the TSA barcode readers, an issue that very few experienced and appears to be sporadic," Maine's Department of the Secretary of State told the paper. That's exactly why having your passport on-hand becomes crucial. When your Real ID fails, a passport ensures you can still board your flight without delays.

That said, it seems like the fraction isn't that small. In fact, the TSA told Maine's Bureau of Motor Vehicles that "95% of Maine travelers" currently hold a compliant Real ID, which means that a remaining 5% — or, one in 20 people — could run into the glitch. That's enough to make anyone nervous before heading to the airport. According to a recent post on the subreddit r/Maine, one frustrated traveler experienced this firsthand.  "The TSA agent subsequently told me that my license information was only returning my age. No name, no birthday, no other information, but my age," the user wrote about their experience after having their Real ID rejected at Boston's Logan Airport. 

Speaking to the press, the Maine Department of the Secretary of State admitted that one of the state's ID printing machines had been faulty, as reported by News Center Maine. However, officials reiterated that the machine is now functional, and travelers shouldn't worry about future issues. Still, if you're one of the unlucky ones, authorities request that you report your ordeal to Maine's Bureau of Motor Vehicles at bmv@maine.gov, which will mail you a replacement free of charge.

Although there's no way for Maine residents to check if their Real ID will be rejected or not, there are ways to avoid running into issues at the airport. After all, time is of the essence — especially if you hit a busy travel day. And given the fact that the TSA has to manually inspect your ID if it doesn't scan, you might lose some minutes you weren't planning to give up. 

Thankfully, however, you'll still be able to fly if your Real ID doesn't scan. That said, to avoid losing time, you'll want to make sure you have an alternative form of ID that is currently on the TSA's list of acceptable identification documents. This includes a U.S. passport, U.S. passport card, permanent resident card, state-issued driver's license, or any other state identification issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Other specialized documents include a U.S. Department of Defense ID, Veteran Health Identification Card, foreign government-issued passport, and more.

Keep in mind, however, that a temporary driver's license is not accepted as identification, so you'll need something else. Also, some machines have reportedly had trouble scanning tribal IDs as well, so it's best to bring a backup document alongside that if you have an alternative.