Going into the Bureaus of Motor Vehicles across the state of Ohio, the lines are increasingly long as world travelers and others patiently wait to acquire an ID with a black star in the upper right-hand corner.

These IDs are not just decorative, but they also give Americans the ability to travel domestically aboard airplanes and enter federal buildings like courthouses but the deadline to acquire this form of identification is May 7.

The IDs are called real IDs, or compliant licenses, and are a part of the Real ID Act passed by Congress in 2005.

The act was created from recommendations made in the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, a bipartisan commission that investigated the September 11 attacks, according to Ohio register Charlie Norman.

Norman further says how compliant licenses have been available in Ohio for almost a decade.

Like Ohio, other states offer them as well and some have 100% adaption rate of the licenses like Georgia.

Before the uptake in BMV visits, Ohio had a 56% adaption rate, according to Norman.

With the nationwide issuance, Transportation Security Administration decided in 2025 to enforce the national requirement of having a real ID in order to travel the country.

In a press release, TSA mentioned how this added security enforcement is being done in hopes of improving vulnerabilities in security practices.

Norman predicts those without the licenses will experience some difficulty traveling to board a plane without the required form of identification.

Passports are still required to travel internationally, as the compliant license cannot replace them.

In order to get a compliant license, documents featuring name, date of birth, residency, social security number, current Ohio address and, if applicable, name change will need to be present.

Acceptable documents can be found at Ohio’s BMV website, but Norman advises some requirements may differ among local BMVs.

TSA also has their own web page dedicated to helping Americans navigate the new travel measure.

To make the process of acquiring a new ID easier, Norman advises Ohioans to get online to book an advance BMV appointment.

Ohioan BMVs will continue to accommodate those who need their real ID by having extended hours on Saturday, May 3.