A viral post showing a Waffle House employee ID prompted the TSA to officially state that such identification cards are not accepted as alternatives to REAL ID for air travel.

A sample of a REAL ID. (DHS) REAL IDs were available for years before the requirement went into effect after a 2005 law passed based on recommendations from the 9/11 Commission report.

We would rather an individual to have the STAR ID and not need it, rather than to need it and not have it," said Cpl. Reginal King with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

According to the agency's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published Thursday, only 56% of drivers licenses and other state-issued ID cards are compliant with the REAL ID law, first passed by ...