Do You Need a Passport to Fly Within the U.S.? REAL ID and Passport-Free Destinations
Short answer
For domestic flights you do not need a passport — you need a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another TSA-accepted ID such as a passport, passport card, or military ID. And U.S. citizens can fly to Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa with no passport at all.
What TSA accepts at the checkpoint
Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, a standard driver's license that is not REAL ID-compliant no longer gets you through a TSA checkpoint. A REAL ID-compliant license — usually marked with a star in the upper corner — does.
A U.S. passport book or passport card is always accepted for domestic flights, as are permanent resident cards, military IDs, and trusted traveler cards like Global Entry. If you are unsure about your license, carry your passport card as a backup.
Passport-free destinations for U.S. citizens
Because they are U.S. territories, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John) are domestic travel: no passport, no customs, no immigration. The same is true for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, though flights to Guam that route through foreign airports can trigger passport requirements — check your itinerary.
American Samoa is also a U.S. territory; entry requirements there involve your proof of citizenship and can differ from the other territories, so confirm with your airline before you fly.
Where you still need a passport
Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean nations beyond the U.S. territories, Bermuda, and every other foreign destination require a passport book for air travel. Land and sea crossings to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean accept the cheaper passport card or an enhanced driver's license.
Closed-loop cruises — round trips from the same U.S. port to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, or Mexico — have special rules that may allow a birth certificate plus ID, but a passport book is strongly recommended in case you need to fly home unexpectedly.
Getting the right document in time
If your license is not REAL ID-compliant and you fly soon, a passport card is an affordable backup — but it needs the same processing time as a book. First-time applicants apply in person on Form DS-11; renewals can go by mail on DS-82.
Use our office finder to locate an acceptance facility near you, and the processing-times page to see how long each option takes today.
PassportOffices is an independent resource, not a government website. Rules, fees, and processing times change — always confirm details at travel.state.gov before you travel.