LOWCOUNTRY, S.C. (WCIV) — In exactly one month, TSA will require passengers to have a Real ID or another acceptable form of ID to fly not only internationally but also domestically.

A Real ID will also be required to enter a federal building or military institution.

Mark Howell, a TSA spokesperson for the Southeast region, says of course, it's better to get it sooner rather than later, but for those who don't have plans to travel anytime soon, Real IDs can still be acquired after the May 7 deadline.

He emphasized to think of May 7 as an enforcement date rather than a deadline.

Howell does say that for those who do have a flight planned for on or after May 7 and don’t have a Real ID, you can still fly, however, another form of acceptable ID will be required.

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This change in policy has been in progress since the Real ID Act passed in 2005.

“The Real ID Act was passed in 2005, and it comes out of findings from the 9/11 commission,” explained Howell. “Really what it is, is raising the baseline security standards for ID, there's additional security features that are built into the ID versus the old ones. If you take a look at an old ID next to a real id, you'll see some, some big differences. There's additional security features on there that makes the things a lot harder to replicate or make a fraudulent ID,” he said.

The Real ID enforcement date has been pushed back in the past. Howell says some drawbacks included TSA having to work with states to get in compliance with the Real ID Act. The Covid-19 pandemic also caused a significant delay in implementation.

However, Howell says this May 7 deadline is expected to stick.

“It has been moved a number of times, but we fully intend to start enforcing the Real ID on May 7. So you need to make sure that you have the Real ID compliant license or another form of ID. The most common being a passport, on that date, if you're planning to travel," he said.

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For travelers planning to set off soon, Howell says that it is important to keep in mind that not only are Real ID requirements changing, but as summer approaches the busy season begins.

“We're coming out of a very busy spring break period. We’re with a lot of passengers going through security checkpoint," he said, "So, as we get into summer, you're gonna see that volume continue, especially when we get into the holiday weekends around Memorial Day and 4th of July. So if you're planning to travel during one of those periods, you're going to want to make sure you have that Real ID compliant ID, or another form of ID. If you don't, you could see some significant slowdowns at security checkpoints.”

According to the SC DMV website, in order to purchase a Real ID, individuals must have a valid US passport/passport card with their current legal name that matches with social security information and two physical proofs of a South Carolina address.

More information on accepted documents can be found on their website.

He added that the process does vary from state to state, but a Real ID is something you have to go in person to get it can't be done online.

Howell says as long as you have either your Real ID or your ID and another acceptable form of identification, travelers shouldn’t encounter delays at the airport.

For any information regarding the Real ID, interested individuals can visit the Transportation Security Administration website. For state specific information you can visit the SC DMV website.