CHICAGO — REAL ID requirements for flying in the U.S. are now in effect.

After years of postponements and delays, the REAL ID compliance deadline arrived Wednesday, May 7. Your license or identification card must now be REAL ID-compliant to fly domestically in the U.S., unless you have another valid form of ID, like a passport.

Transportation Security Administration officials say that as of Wednesday, they’ll no longer accept state-issued IDs that are not REAL ID-compliant at TSA security checkpoints. All airline passengers 18 and older, including TSA pre-check members, must present REAL ID-compliant identification or another acceptable form of ID, like a valid passport.

According to TSA officials, passengers who present a state-issued ID that’s not REAL ID-compliant and who do not have another acceptable form of ID will be notified of their non-compliance and may be directed to a separate area to receive additional screening.

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 if you don’t have one.

A TSA official told WGN things were going smoothly thus far early Wednesday morning at O’Hare International Airport as the REAL ID compliance deadline rolled out, in large part because passengers are arriving prepared and additional staff and personnel are on hand.

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 in recent days at DMVs across the Chicago area as people scramble to get the REAL ID.

In Chicago, you can get one 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.

A source with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office told WGN-TV that under 40% of the state was REAL-ID compliant as of Tuesday, a day before the deadline. Nationwide, TSA says about 80% of people are either REAL ID-compliant or have another acceptable form of ID, such as a valid passport.

But 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 (recently), people are waiting hours and hours, and they don’t have to,” Giannoulias said.

He reminds people that they can still get a REAL ID after Wednesday.

“We are not going to stop issuing REAL IDs on May 7,” Giannoulias said.

Here are some of the key things to know about the 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,” Ruggiero said.

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