If you're flying in or out of Southern California, consider booking your flight for this small yet delightfully comfortable and convenient airport.

A TSA agent waits to escort air travelers without a REAL ID to a secondary screening area as go though security at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, CA, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025.

Dankers, the TSA official, cautioned against trying to rush into a DMV office if a federally accepted ID isn’t an immediate need, because it might be tough to get appointments.

TSA officers said they will initially use a secondary process to try and confirm the identity of flyers who do not have compliant IDs, but if they can't do so, they won't be able to fly.

Starting May 7, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will require travelers to show a Real ID at checkpoints nationwide. A Real ID in California has a star in the golden bear in the ...