SB251 driver’s licenses not valid for air travel

October 1st and beyond

Newsroom El Comercio de Colorado

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As of October 1, the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act’s (CO-RCSA) driver’s licenses (also known as SB251) will not be a valid form of identification for air travel. In order to pass through security points at North American airports, the holders of these licenses must show identification issued by the US federal government or by some foreign government.

Work permits (Form I-766) and current foreign passports are acceptable. Consular plates from Mexico, El Salvador, and other countries are not considered a valid form of identification for air travel. However, consular representatives from El Salvador are currently meeting with officials of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in hopes this would change.

The new regulation will affect over 40,000 Colorado residents who hold a SB251 license. Among those who carry these licenses are people without immigration status, beneficiaries of DACA and TPS, people requesting political asylum, and people who have temporary residence in the US. Organizations that defend immigrants should urge people to be informed and prepared for October 1.

Real ID Act

“SB251 licenses will remain valid for state purposes, such as driving and identification to a law enforcement officer. But, in October 2020, everyone with an SB251 license will no longer be able to use that document to board an airplane”, said a Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition (CIRC) representative. The restriction on SB251 licenses is due to the fact that they are not REAL ID Act compliant.  REAL ID Act is a federal law that was passed in 2005 to increase security standards in state-issued identification documents.

The Real ID Act will be enforced throughout the entire country on October 1. Since 2012, all issued licenses for US citizens and lawful permanent residents have been REAL ID compliant in Colorado. “We acted promptly to ensure the vast majority of Coloradans don’t have to worry about getting a REAL ID compliant driver license or ID card, because they already have one,” said DMV Senior Director Mike Dixon.