It raises the question — if new identification standards were so important, why did it take 17 years to implement?

“We should not need a ‘passport’ to travel within our own country. There have been no issues with just our state IDs ever, so there is no reason we all need this ‘national’ ID,”  Los Angeles resident Jenn Lazo told SFGATE in a direct message on social media. “My state, California, already made me give a fingerprint and proof of identity when I got my driver’s license. My proof of residence is that I receive the license they mail.”

Just get a passport

Like others, I think the DMV is a hard place to visit. My protest against the golden bear ID largely falls on the fact that I have no desire to set foot inside a DMV for an extra bureaucratic process. California’s DMV has streamlined the process by allowing Californians to upload the required documents, like a passport or birth certificate, and a document that provides proof of residency online. Nevertheless, you still have to bring those documents to the DMV office for approval.

During the past few weeks leading up to the deadline, getting a last-minute appointment at the DMV to have a Real ID before May 7 has been challenging. Many DMVs don’t have any availability until July. The DMV even made the decision to add extra hours specifically for Real ID appointments at 18 locations. And even after you land one of the coveted appointments, it takes an average of two weeks for the ID to arrive in the mail, the DMV told SFGATE.

Anyone who visits the website for a Real ID will get a pop-up suggesting Californians stick to their passport until it’s time to renew their driver’s license. The DMV declined to comment on whether this was because of the backlog for office appointments.

“Individuals who have a passport or any other federally accepted document can use it to fly domestically or to enter a secure federal facility. They may wait until their driver’s license is due for renewal and then upgrade to a REAL ID at that time,” the DMV told SFGATE in an email.

TSA spokesperson Lorie Dankers told SFGATE that flying with a passport is not opting out of the Real ID process to fly. It’s just moving forward with “another acceptable form of identification.”

“You’re not going to want to travel long term with your passport, potentially losing it or damaging it when you can now just make an appointment to get a Real ID once the backlog starts to clear,” Dankers told SFGATE.

I, and others I’ve spoken with, disagree. I would rather fly with a passport, which grants me access to 183 countries without a visa, than step into the DMV once.

“All this verifying this and verifying that … it’s too much … I’m tired of giving the State and US governments information … my information. Sept 11th ruined it for all of us in terms of personal privacy,” Antonio Russo-Scullari, a San Francisco resident, told SFGATE in a direct message on social media. “A Passport is sufficient enough to meet their needs … and the less time I spend at the DMV, the better.”

Another option available to flyers worried about losing their passport book is obtaining a passport card, which will give access to land borders of Mexico and Canada. In 2024, the U.S. State Department issued 3,737,228 passport cards. Either option gets you out of participating in the additional bureaucratic process at the DMV.

What to expect on May 7 and beyond

The TSA estimates that at this time, a little more than 80% of Americans are prepared for Real ID enforcement, Dankers said. Travelers who show up at the airport without a Real ID on or after May 7 are subjected to additional screening and should be prepared to show up to the airport early. If their identity cannot be verified, they will not be permitted to fly.

“TSA is screening, on average, 2.5 million people per day, and at 19% would be about 500,000 people at airports nationwide who aren’t ready for Real ID enforcement,” Dankers said. “If you’re prepared, you know, I’m going to say, good for you, you planned ahead, you didn’t procrastinate, and you should expect a smooth and efficient trip through the security checkpoint. If you did not, arrive early.”

While there has been a lot of emphasis on May 7 as the finish line, Dankers points out that the deadline to be Real ID compliant is not May 7 but whenever is the next time to fly.

“The DMVs are still going to be issuing [Real IDs] after May 7. We’re still going to be enforcing it after May 7. So this is a hard deadline in terms of people who are traveling on May 7, but it may not be your deadline,” Dankers said. “So look at when you’re planning to travel. Look at what you can do, and then move on it. Don’t procrastinate anymore, because this is the policy moving forward.”

She makes a fair point, but that’s still not enough to convince me. After returning to SFO on my way home to San Diego the day before the Wednesday deadline, I presented my passport without any interruption, and the security agent even smiled as he waved me through.