September is Passport Awareness Month. The U.S. Department of State is launching an awareness campaign to educate and inform travelers about upcoming changes to travel identification requirements for domestic flights.

Prepare Now

Beginning on January 22, 2018, domestic air passengers with driver’s licenses issued by a state that is not yet compliant with REAL ID and that has not received an extension will need to show an alternative form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel. Both the U.S. passport card and passport book are REAL ID compliant. If you already have a REAL ID compliant driver’s license, it will remain valid for domestic air travel.

REAL ID Requirements The REAL ID Act, which became law in 2005, requires driver’s licenses to meet minimum security standards for issuance and production. For air travel and certain other purposes, federal agencies are prohibited from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards unless those states have been granted extensions.

The U.S. passport book and the U.S. passport card are REAL ID compliant and are acceptable identification to board domestic flights. The U.S. passport card is the same size as a driver’s license and only costs $55 for first time applicants or $30 for those who have already had a passport. A U.S. passport book is always required for international air travel – passport cards are not valid for international air travel.

Applying for a U.S. Passport Passport demand is on the rise and the Department of State expects to see 20 million applications in Fiscal Year 2017. It is best to apply early and to take advantage of lower wait times September through December. For adults renewing their passport, the process can be done by mail.

For information on how to apply for a U.S. passport, visit travel.state.gov or call the National Passport Information Center toll-free at 1-877-487-2778/1-888-874-7793 (TTY/TTD).

For more information on the acceptable forms of identification for boarding aircraft, please see TSA’s website tsa.gov. To find out if your state’s driver’s license or ID are Real ID compliant visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website dhs.gov/real-id.

For media inquiries please contact:

CAPressRequests@state.gov

202-485-6150

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The United States has fully implemented the decision by the Government of the Russian Federation to reduce the size of our mission in Russia. We believe this action was unwarranted and detrimental to the overall relationship between our countries.

In the spirit of parity invoked by the Russians, we are requiring the Russian Government to close its Consulate General in San Francisco, a chancery annex in Washington, D.C., and a consular annex in New York City. These closures will need to be accomplished by September 2.

With this action both countries will remain with three consulates each. While there will continue to be a disparity in the number of diplomatic and consular annexes, we have chosen to allow the Russian Government to maintain some of its annexes in an effort to arrest the downward spiral in our relationship.

The United States hopes that, having moved toward the Russian Federation’s desire for parity, we can avoid further retaliatory actions by both sides and move forward to achieve the stated goal of both of our presidents: improved relations between our two countries and increased cooperation on areas of mutual concern. The United States is prepared to take further action as necessary and as warranted.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, I offer congratulations to the people of Vietnam as you celebrate your National Day on September 2nd.

Since the normalization of bilateral ties 22 years ago, relations between our two countries have grown in ways many would have never predicted. We have moved past conflict and division, towards a flourishing partnership that spans political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties.

The recent visits of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh, and Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich to the United States have reinforced this positive momentum between our two nations, and President Trump’s commitment to travel to Vietnam for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Meeting promises to elevate our partnership to new heights.

On this occasion, I wish all Vietnamese people peace and prosperity in the coming year.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

The Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations’ Industry Advisory Group (IAG) charter has been renewed for an additional 2-year period. The IAG serves in an advisory capacity with respect to industry and academia’s latest concepts, methods, best practices, innovations and ideas related to property management that are applicable to OBO’s vital mission to provide safe, secure and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives.

The group meets annually in the spring at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. Procedures for registration are included with each meeting announcement, no later than 15 business days before each meeting.

OBO’s mission is to provide safe, secure and functional facilities that represent the U.S. Government to the host nation and support our staff in the achievement of U.S. foreign policy objectives. These facilities represent American values and the best in American architecture, engineering, technology, sustainability, art, culture, and construction execution.

For further information, please visit the OBO website at https://overseasbuildings.state.gov/, or contact Christine Foushee at FousheeCT@state.gov.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

On behalf of the Government of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of the Slovak Republic on your Constitution Day September 1st.

The United States and the Slovak Republic have enjoyed a strong bilateral relationship since the founding of Slovakia. Our friendship is a strong one, based on close ties between our people, a shared commitment to human rights, and the pursuit of economic prosperity in both of our countries.

As a close NATO ally, we are proud to cooperate with Slovakia to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens, and to pursue our mutual commitment to Euro-Atlantic integration and the promotion of democratic values.

As you celebrate this special day, I extend our best wishes to the people of the Slovak Republic for the upcoming year.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.