Worcester, MASS-- With Monday marking one month until the Real ID deadline, TSA New England is reminding travelers to make arrangements and preparations now.

“Don’t panic, you’ll probably still be able to travel,” TSA New England spokesperson, Dan Velez, said. 

Starting May 7, air travelers across the country 18 years or older need a real ID driver’s license or ID card to fly domestically. In Massachusetts, a real ID has a gold star in the upper right corner.  

“We are going to know exactly, when you have that real ID, you are who you say you are,” Velez said. 

Obtaining a real ID requires a more vetted process, including showing additional documents and paperwork proving your identity.  

“It’s a coordinated effort between the states and U.S government to inhibit the ability of terrorists to get fake IDs or fraudulently obtained IDs and get onto an aircraft,” Velez said. 

Once this policy takes effect, other acceptable identification includes a D.O.D military ID card, a passport card and a passport, among several others.

“If you do have a U.S. passport, and you do not have a real ID, please start using that when you travel domestically,” Velez said. 

TSA data shows roughly 81% of passengers going through TSA now have either a real ID or another form of acceptable identification. If you don’t, they’re asking you get to airport even earlier than the recommended 2 hours before your flight.  

“We are not necessarily going to turn them away completely,” Velez said. “If you come up to the checkpoint and you don’t have any acceptable form of identification, we are going to have to pull you off to the side and do an identity verification process and you’ll have to go through additional screening.”

Over the next month, TSA document-checkers are handing out  real ID pamphlets alerting travelers about these changes and the nearing deadline.