As of now, the dire warnings feel like security theater. On Wednesday morning, I arrived at SFO at 6:30 a.m. — two hours before my flight’s departure time, and a full hour earlier than I usually would, just in case my lack of a Real ID caused issues. The line for economy stretched down the hallway, but it moved quickly, and the volume of people was considerably less dense than the Thanksgiving or Christmas airport crush. 

The man behind me in line tapped his stick impatiently. “I think it’s because they’re renovating the airport,” he grumbled. Every few minutes, “Be Real ID ready!” flashed on the LCD screens above the checkpoint signs.

It took eight minutes to reach security, where I scanned my iPhone pass and handed the TSA agent my driver’s license. The agent gave it a brief once-over and waved me on without requesting additional information or other documents. (Just in case, I had brought my passport and expired Global Entry card as backups.) It took me a couple more minutes to clear the baggage scan, and then I was in the terminal.

I wasn’t the only one who experienced the no-friction process. “No one stopped me or said anything at all,” said Chris Williams, a 25-year-old engineer, sitting at his gate for a flight to Houston. He didn’t have a Real ID but had zero concerns about missing his flight. “So many people fly every day,” he said. “The government really doesn’t want people complaining, so I knew they weren’t going to be a-holes about this.”