REAL ID deadline is here: What to know if you still need one

CHICAGO — After years of postponements and delays, the deadline to get a REAL ID is here.

Starting May 7, your license or identification card will need to be REAL ID-compliant to fly domestically in the U.S.

A reminder: you do not need a REAL ID to drive, vote, or to receive benefits and services from your state or federal government. Minors flying with an adult also do not need a REAL ID for domestic flights.

Long lines have formed Wednesday at DMV’s across the Chicago area as people scramble to get the ID.

In Chicago, you can get a Real ID through walk-in services at the REAL ID Supercenter located at 191 North Clark Street. The Supercenter is a walk-in only, non-appointment facility and is open until 5 p.m.

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is stressing for people to be absolutely sure they need a REAL ID before booking an appointment and spending hours in line.

“We do not want to discourage people from getting a REAL ID, but the fact is the vast majority of people do not need a REAL ID before Wednesday. I was at the Supercenter earlier today, people are waiting hours and hours, and they don’t have to,” Giannoulias said.

The Department of Homeland Security says travelers with no REAL ID will still be allowed to fly for now, but with probable extra steps. So allow for extra time.

Here are some of the key things to know about REAL ID, including how to get one, why you even need one in the first place, and what happens if you don’t have one by Thursday.

What is a REAL ID?

It’s a federally compliant state-issued license or identification card that the DHS says is a more secure form of identification. Besides needing a REAL ID to fly domestically, you will also need one to access certain federal buildings and facilities.

Why is this happening?

When the REAL ID Act was signed into law in 2005, it enacted a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that the government set security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and IDs.

“REAL ID is a coordinated effort by the federal government to improve the reliability and accuracy of driver’s licenses and identification cards,” John Essig, the Transportation Security Administration’s Security Director for airports in the New York City region said in a press release on April 3. “The improvements are intended to inhibit terrorists’ ability to evade detection by using fraudulent identification.”

The REAL ID Act was supposed to begin rolling out in 2008, “but has faced repeated delays due to state implementation challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Nina Ruggiero, senior editorial director for Travel + Leisure. “The combination of varying state processes and shifting deadlines has added to the overall confusion around REAL IDs and likely led some travelers to take the deadlines less seriously.”

How do I know if I already have a REAL ID?

If you’ve gotten a new ID in the last few years, it could already be REAL ID-compliant.

“I also hear from travelers who are confused as to whether or not they already have a REAL ID,” Ruggiero said. “Some people who have recently renewed their license may already have a compliant ID and not know it,” so you may want to double-check yours before starting the process.

A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license has a symbol ( in most states, a star ) in the top corner of the card.

If you live in Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont or Washington, it’s possible you could have an “enhanced″ ID card instead, which permits you to both fly domestically and cross land and sea borders into Mexico and Canada from the U.S. It does not, however, allow you to fly into either of those countries.

Enhanced IDs will have an American flag icon, as well as the word “enhanced” at the top of the card.

If I don’t have a REAL ID, how do I get one?

The requirements vary by state. Here is where you can get one in Illinois, including whether you’ll need to make an appointment at a DMV and what documentation you’ll need when you get there.

What happens on May 7? What if I don’t have a REAL ID by then?

If you don’t have a REAL ID by the deadline and you’re planning to board a domestic flight, you will need to bring your passport or another TSA-approved form of identification when you travel.

Otherwise, you could face “delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” warns TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.

For more information, go to: realid.ilsos.gov