The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses and identification cards,” according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Getting a REAL ID by the May 7 deadline is not mandatory. If you have a valid passport, that's as good as having a REAL ID on you when you're looking to board a flight. Standard driver licenses will remain valid for driving purposes and at other businesses, like banks, that may ask to see your ID.

The TSA says you have to get your Real ID by May 7. For real, this time. Why it matters: After that date, Real IDs or valid passports will be required for domestic travel and entry into certain government facilities like military bases.

Originally, the law mandated the switch to REAL IDs by 2008, but that date has been pushed back year after year. Now the deadline is only months away.