Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Tuesday that travelers without a REAL ID will be allowed to fly for now after Wednesday's deadline but may face extra steps and scrutiny.

The federally enhanced form of identification will be necessary to fly domestically or enter certain federal buildings. If you don't have one yet, you will need to bring your passport or another form of TSA-approved identification to travel. You could face delays or additional screenings without that.

“The point of the ID is that TSA wants to know that the people who are in front of them at the security checkpoint at the airport are the people who they say they are," New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Public Information Director Walter McClure said.

The requirement stems from the 2005 law signed following a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that the federal government set security standards for state-issued identification cards. It was originally supposed to be rolled out in 2008 but has faced over a decade of delays, further exacerbated by the pandemic.

"I didn't really want to travel with my passport to go domestically, so it was just easier to do this," Wantagh resident Kim Castellano said as she waited on line at the Massapequa DMV before it opened this morning.

A Real ID-compliant card in New York has a star in the top right corner. An Enhanced ID with a flag on it is different than a Real ID, but would satisfy the Real ID requirements.

All seven of Long Island's Department of Motor Vehicles facilities have been packed with people trying to beat the deadline.

"It's been really hard," West Babylon resident Frank Pinto said. "We've been trying different locations, but there's no availability."

The state currently requires appointments with limited walk-ins and while some occasionally get added, calendars are booked out through the summer across Long Island.

"The deadline is coming up," Amityville resident Simon Duncanson said. "I wanted to get it done."

DMV officials said they were working to accommodate this rush and are encouraging people to visit their website for tips that can speed up the process of getting the new identification.