Tampa International Airport – Courtesy: Peter Titmuss – Shutterstock
The Transportation Security Administration may need to check your ID twice (or three or four times) at the airport, regardless of how good or bad you have been. There are some Florida IDs that are not scanning properly.
All U.S. passengers visiting an airport will need REAL IDs in order to board domestic flights and use specific amenities starting on May 7, 2025. It has never quite worked out for Catherine Spillman, who got hers when she relocated to Cape Coral.
“The same thing occurs with my friends who live nearby. And it was late in 2022, about the same time, that we all received our IDs,” Spillman added.
The issue is that airports around the nation are unable to scan her REAL ID.
According to Spillman, “I’ve been to Minnesota and Phoenix, and sure enough, they look at the ID and they say, oh, Florida, we get this happen all the time.”
While returning home for Thanksgiving, she became aware of the issue for the first time.
“In fact, the TSA agents advised me to return to the ticket agent. On the busiest weekend to go home, I probably already spent thirty to forty minutes online at TSA,” Spillman added.
Spillman claims that whenever she needs to have her ID scanned, such as when purchasing alcohol from a liquor store, the issue occurs.
“There comes a time in life when you don’t think you should have to worry about an ID scan, but it still happens,” Spillman explained.
The state was contacted by NBC2. “This issue is by no means common, but it has come up from time to time and we are aware of the anomaly,” a statement from a Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles official read. If someone encounters this problem, they can visit the nearest DMV to get their license scanned and reprinted for free.
“That’s awesome,” replied Spillman. But everyone is aware of the DMV’s hectic schedule. We still need to set aside some time during the day to go. Therefore, we are being expected to go out and fix the issue ourselves, by really taking the time to do it.
Spillman stated that she will keep bringing her passport with her wherever for the time being.
“I truly want the TSA to fulfill its duties, thus I feel bad for them. I genuinely want them to take the time to confirm that the appropriate person is arriving. Given that they lack the resources necessary to perform their jobs effectively, I can only image how frustrated they must be,” Spillman said.
To find out how big of a problem this is for TSA, NBC2 contacted them.
“There is an issue with the state’s production of some licenses and the state is replacing license for residents who are expecting some issues,” stated the TSA.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.