Beginning May 7, domestic air travelers will need a Real ID-compliant identification, or a valid passport.
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said that Bureau of Motor Vehicle branches across Maine are seeing record-breaking numbers of applicants and visitors in anticipation of that deadline.
"[Last] Friday night at five o'clock, there were approximately 300 people statewide across all our branches still waiting to get served," Bellows said. "The majority of them were there to get Real IDs. We have never seen 300 people wanting to spend their Friday night with us because they were desperate to get the Real IDs."
She said some BMV branches are seeing wait times of two or three hours because of the influx of people.
"Our message to Mainers is: stay calm," Bellows said. "Check out on our website what the required documents are and whether you might already have what you need to fly domestically and be prepared."
Bellows encourages applicants to make an appointment at a BMV branch to avoid long wait times. And if you don’t have any upcoming travel, she suggests waiting until a later date.
Mainers can get a Real ID anytime, and the May 7 deadline is for TSA agents to begin checking for that identification, not to obtain one.
Real ID will also be required to access certain federal facilities beginning May 7.
