As the Real ID deadline looms, DMV offices expect even longer lines than usual

Some state officials are warning about overcrowding and long wait times at Department of Motor Vehicles offices across the country as the deadline approaches for airline passengers to show a Real ID to board domestic flights.

Beginning May 7, travelers age 18 and over must have Real ID-compliant identification to gain access through Transportation Security Administration security checkpoints or have a valid passport. Some other forms of identification will continue to be allowed.

The requirement for a Real ID came in response to a 9/11 Commission recommendation, which prompted Congress in 2005 to pass the Real ID Act. It established minimum security standards for driver’s licenses and government identification cards to ensure people were who they claimed to be.

People can apply for a Real ID by booking an appointment at their local DMV office.

Officials in some states say application rates for getting the special ID cards are lagging, even though the domestic air travel requirement was announced in 2005 and the enforcement date pushed back several times. In Pennsylvania, about 2.5 million drivers, or 26% of the state’s population, have Real IDs, Transportation Director Mike Carroll said Tuesday in a news conference.

He warned that DMV offices in the state could experience large crowds and long wait lines as the deadline nears.

“There’s a lot of procrastinators out there, and our driver’s license centers have real serious issues with respect to a lot of folks showing up,” Carroll said.

In Illinois, the state added 2,500 daily appointments to its DMV schedule to help meet the expected last-minute demands. It also created a Real ID “supercenter” where people can walk in and apply.

“Our facilities and website have been overwhelmed with requests,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said recently.

Applicants have to provide their legal name, date of birth, Social Security number and other documentation.

Federal transportation officials told NBC News that they have the flexibility to phase in enforcement, but they have not said how such an approach would work.

At Denver International Airport, Real ID signage has been posted around screening checkpoints, advising travelers of the coming deadline, and its website informs passengers about the change.

At Los Angeles International Airport, officials have been working with the California Department of Motor Vehicles to spread the word.

“If you don’t have a flight on May 7 or the following week,” then try to get an appointment, Aixa Diaz, a spokesperson for the American Automobile Association, told “TODAY.”