npr:

Starting Oct. 1, 2020, when the REAL ID law takes effect, you’ll need a star at the top of your driver’s license if you plan to fly anywhere in the United States. Essentially an enhanced driver’s license, it will be required at the airport gate, unless you have another accepted form of ID. And officials are worried that one year out, many people don’t yet have one.

Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to address concerns of the 9/11 Commission, which found that it was too easy for people to obtain driver’s licenses, posing a security risk. To get a REAL ID, you typically need to present a birth certificate or green card, a Social Security card and two documents that show your address.

A study done for the U.S. Travel Association shows that only three out of four Americans have gotten a REAL ID driver’s license (indicated by a star at the top). Erik Hansen, vice president for government relations at U.S. Travel, says that’s going to be a problem for would-be airline passengers next year.

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