Two decades after approval by Congress, the federal REAL ID program, which places increased security standards on U.S. states and territories for issuing driver’s licenses and IDs, is finally set to be enforced at the nation’s airports. A host of other acceptable forms of ID for travel remain. But beginning May 7, those regular old Alaska drivers’ licenses will no longer be sufficient to board most domestic flights.
The deadline will change ID requirements for both TSA-screened flights and the small air carriers that serve the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta's 56 villages. For residents who must fly to Anchorage and beyond to access medical care and other services, there may be multiple challenges to updating IDs.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved photo IDs issued by federally recognized tribes for domestic air travel. But it is unclear which tribes already have adequate identification among their members, and how many people in the region may still be lacking.
The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) which represents 48 communities across the region, currently has the ability to issue REAL ID compliant tribal ID cards in Bethel, featuring a holographic AVCP logo and the name of one’s respective tribe. AVCP did not respond to a request for comment regarding the effectiveness of the service or how many people it had served.
Prohibitive costs
As may be the case with people seeking new tribal IDs, those in the region seeking REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses, state identification cards, or passports must bear the high costs of travel to Bethel for in-person appointments.
In response to these types of challenges, the Alaska Department of Motor Vehicles created an opportunity for remote communities to receive services through its Mobile DMV Program, launched in 2020. So far, it has served a total of four communities, all in the Bristol Bay region, and at a cost of roughly $7,000 per visit billed to the regional Native corporation, according to the Anchorage Daily News.
For reasons that remain unclear, mobile DMV services have yet to come to the Y-K Delta. In a letter sent last summer, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHC) CEO Dan Winkelman urged Gov. Mike Dunleavy to send DMV workers to the region to avert a potential crisis accessing care. Winkelman wrote that the healthcare provider sends roughly 300 patients weekly to Anchorage for medical needs.
Winkelman wrote that in addition to the prohibitive costs of travel to Bethel to obtain a REAL ID, the percentage of tribal IDs that airports would deem acceptable was “unknown and likely very inconsistent by village.”
YKHC did not respond to a request for comment about the state’s response to the letter.
The DMV’s division operations manager Lauren Whiteside said there has been interest from the region, but not the necessary follow-through.
"It's just about communities following the steps and following through to actually pursue bringing the mobile unit," Whiteside said. "[...] We do need original or certified copies of birth certificates and or marriage certificates. So there's a lot of legwork that a community needs to do when they are considering bringing the mobile unit to their community."
She said the DMV has so far issued REAL IDs to roughly half of the state’s total population.
"Because we've been issuing these for more than six years, we're hopeful that Alaskans who want them have them, or have a plan in place to get one," Whiteside said.
Phased enforcement
Daniel Velez, a spokesperson for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which operates airport screening points where the new rules will be enforced, said the agency is optimistic about the long-delayed change.
"We're pretty confident, and a lot of the state department of motor vehicles are pretty confident in their numbers that most individuals are going to have some form of either a Real ID or some form of acceptable ID," Velez said. "Right now, 81% of people that we are screening are presenting at least a REAL ID or some form of acceptable ID."
While the upcoming deadline is a hard deadline, there may still be some flexibility. TSA recently approved a phased enforcement plan that pushes the date of absolute compliance to May 5, 2027. But Velez said there are no guarantees for travelers who show up at airport screening points without proper ID.
"They'll have to be pulled off to the side, and they're going to have to go through an enhanced screening process," Velez said. "We are asking folks to get to the airport much earlier than they normally do. So if somebody was getting to an airport two hours prior, they should probably look to be there two and a half, three hours prior if they do not have any form of acceptable identification."
One alternative to going through the state of Alaska for a REAL ID is to apply for a passport, which also requires obtaining certified documents, usually birth certificates. Bethel City Clerk Kevin Morgan said applications from around the region have spiked in 2025.
"Compared to last year, we're about double the amount of passport applications that we've gotten," Morgan said.
After May 7, passports will continue to be an acceptable alternative to REAL ID driver’s licenses and identification cards for flying domestically.
For more information about obtaining a tribal ID, call AVCP Tribal Services at 907-543-7380.
To set up a passport appointment in Bethel, email cityclerk@cityofbethel.net or call 907-543-1384.
To set up a REAL ID appointment in Bethel with the Department of Motor Vehicles, visit dmv.alaska.gov.
