Travelers weaved their way to the security check in at Kansas City International Airport. Starting May 7, travelers will need a Real ID drivers license or another form of identification to board a domestic flight. File photo. Tammy Ljungblad [email protected]

Imagine you’re ready to go to the airport — bags packed, water bottles emptied — and you realize you are missing the required ID card to board the plane. This nightmare scenario could come true in Missouri as soon as May 7.

After 20 years of extended deadlines, over half of Missourians still don’t have a Real ID driver’s license, which they’ll soon need to fly in the United States.

Beginning May 7, only Real IDs, passports or other forms of federal documentation will be required to fly in the U.S. and enter certain government facilities, like federal courthouses and military bases. However, people can use non-Real ID cards to drive, buy alcohol and vote.

Originally instituted as a response to 9/11, these new IDs can be identified by the gold star in the top right corner. Missouri has been able to issue Real IDs since 2019, so many people already have them.

JoDonn Chaney, director of communications for the Missouri Department of Revenue, answered questions about Real ID.

What happens if you arrive at the airport without a Real ID?

Travelers exit the secured area after arriving at KCI Airport in November 2023 in Kansas City. Nick Wagner [email protected]

If you did not go to the airport with a Real ID, passport or another acceptable piece of identification, the Department of Homeland Security says 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.

In this case, the TSA would verify the traveler’s identity by collecting information like their name and current address. The individual might then be subject to additional screening.

These ID requirements apply to everyone age 18 or older, including individuals 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 many people have gotten Real IDs in Missouri?

An example of a Real ID issued by the state of Missouri, denoted by the star in the right corner, which you might need to fly beginning on May 7, 2025. Provided Missouri Department of Revenue

As of mid-April, 45% of people with Missouri driver’s licenses started the process of getting a Real ID card, according to Chaney. This means 55% of Missouri drivers will not be able to board a plane with just their driver’s license.

In January the Department of Homeland Security predicted that 61% to 66% of IDs would be compliant by May, but Real ID adoption varies by state.

Almost all drivers in Florida and Maryland have Real IDs, because the enhanced IDs are the only option when renewing licenses. But percentages are lower in states where residents had to opt in for Real IDs, which require one more proof of residency and tend to be more expensive. In Massachusetts, 57% of active IDs in the state were Real ID compliant as of April 8, a state spokesperson told USA Today.

When are lines shortest at Missouri DMVs?

People waited outside the North Kansas City License Office in May 2020. Jill Toyoshiba [email protected]

No one wants their DMV trip to take all day, and Chaney had some tips.

He said that Show Me State DMVs are the least busy during the middle of the week and the middle of the month. As to what time to go, Chaney said the morning, lunch and afternoon traffic depends on the location.

How can I get a Real ID in Missouri?

You can get a Real ID even if your old license is not expired. Under certain circumstances, Missouri will waive up to $20 of fees for getting a duplicate license if you have not yet received a Real ID.

If you want to apply for a Real ID, find your nearest license office. The offices are run by private contractors in Missouri and have their own website and processes for getting in line.

You can use the state’s interactive guide to Real IDs to make sure you have everything you need before heading to the office.

Kansas’ requirements are similar.

What are Missouri’s requirements for a Real ID?

You should bring these documents to your local DMV location to get your Real ID issued:

• A U.S. birth certificate, up-to-date passport, resident card, employment authorization card, naturalization certificate or consular report of birth abroad.
• Proof of your Social Security number — which can be your Social Security card, tax forms or any formal documentation with the number present.
• Two proofs of your address in the last year, like a lease agreement or a utility bill.

Additionally, if you have changed your name since any of the documents above were issued, you have to provide proof of a legal name change — like a marriage license or name change documents.

What is different about Real IDs?

Applying for a Real ID requires only one more document than applying for a non-Real ID card — two proofs of residence instead of one.

The 2005 Real ID law standardized identification cards across the country. Before, each state could choose the requirements for issuing identification and what they looked like.

Have more questions about government services in Missouri? Ask the Service Journalism team at [email protected].