If you have plans to travel by plane after next Wednesday, you may be in for a challenge, as May 7 is the deadline for Real ID.

It has been two decades since Congress passed the law to institute Real ID after the 9/11 attacks. The Real ID Act was passed in 2005 and required that identification meet “minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards.”

Travelers 18 and older are told they need to have a Real ID or an acceptable alternative.

If IDs do not meet the standards, then federal agencies shouldn’t accept them, according to the regulations.

There have been several delays in implementation, but finally, the law goes into effect.

What happens if you do not have a Real ID?

If you can’t get a Real ID or do not want to, you have options. You can use alternate forms of identification such as a passport; Global Entry, or similar card; military ID, including dependent cards; tribal nation or Indian tribe IDs; or in the case of people living in Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, New York or Vermont, an Enhanced Driver’s License, USA Today reported.

If you want to apply for a Real ID, visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website to be redirected to your state’s portal.

How many people don’t have a Real ID or acceptable identification?

As of April 24, only about 19% of people traveling don’t have a form of identification that will work after May 7, the Transportation Security Administration said, according to CNBC.

However, that means that 81% of travelers do have an ID that will be accepted, according to the TSA.

I have a flight. When should I get to the airport to get through security?

If you have a Real ID-compliant form of identification or one of the accepted alternatives, you should be at the airport about two hours before a flight, CBS News reported. However, there could be delays once the regulations go into effect, travel expert and consumer advocate John Breyault told CNBC.

If you don’t have a Real ID identification or other acceptable form, you may still be able to travel; it will be challenging, but it may not be fully impossible.

“Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant and who do not have another acceptable alternative (e.g., passport) can expect to face delays, additional screening and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint,” the TSA said.

CBS News said to plan on being at the airport three hours before a flight if you don’t have a Real ID or similar identification.

Have travel plans and still have questions?

If you still have Real ID questions, the TSA may be able to answer them.

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