Can you still get a REAL ID now that the deadline has passed? What to know

Do you have a REAL ID?

Even though the May 7 deadline has passed, you can still get the identification.

Travelers must now show a REAL ID to get through airport security for a domestic flight. They can also use a passport — but without either, could face delays at the TSA check-in.

Here’s wat to know about getting a REAL ID:

How to get a REAL ID

You can apply for and receive a REAL ID the same day. That means if you wait at a DMV and have your paperwork in order, you can walk away with the new identification, which has been required since May 7 to travel on domestic airline flights.

If you go to the airport without a Real ID, passport or another acceptable piece of identification, the Department of Homeland Security warns you “can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint.”

The Transportation Security Administration states that fliers without acceptable identification will need to undergo additional security procedures.

These ID requirements apply to everyone age 18 or older, including people with TSA PreCheck. People whose identity cannot be confirmed or who refuse to complete the additional screening will not be able to pass through airport security, according to the TSA.

How do you get a REAL ID? Do you have one already?

You may already have one if you got your last driver’s license at a Florida DMV. You’ll need to go to a driver’s license or tax collector’s office if you don’t yet have a REAL ID.

You can’t obtain a REAL ID online or through the mail.

“Customers must visit an office to become REAL ID compliant the first time,” according to the Florida department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

A REAL ID driver’s license or state identification card can be easily identified by a star inside a circle in the upper right corner of the card. If your license has the star, it meets REAL ID standards. If not, you should apply for it as soon as possible at a driver’s license office.

Travelers in the U.S. will be required to comply with REAL ID regulations to board flights and access certain federal facilities. The regulation on domestic travelers follows a measure passed in 2005 to increase national security after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Can you skip REAL ID and a passport to travel?

An alternative to the traditional passport book can get you through federal security: the U.S. passport card.

While you can’t use the card for international air travel, it does offer some advantages, including the cost: $65 for adults — less than the $165 for a passport book. The card allows land border crossings into Canada and Mexico, and sea travel to certain Caribbean destinations.

The U.S. passport card is a plastic document that fits easily in your wallet, similar in size to a driver’s license.

You can apply for the U.S. passport card using the same DS-11 form used for the passport book. You can also apply for a card even if you have a passport book.