KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The deadline for Real ID is fast approaching, and officials are urging air travelers to get the enhanced identification.
On Oct. 1, air travelers who don't have a passport, military ID or Real ID won't be able to board a domestic flight.
Driver's licenses and state IDs that are Real ID-compliant have a star in the upper right corner.
RELATED: Here's what you need to know to get a Real ID in Missouri, Kansas
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the enhanced identification is part of the Real ID Act, which established "minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits federal agencies from accepting certain driver's licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act's minimum standards."
Homeland Security reports that more than 95 million compliant driver's licenses and identification cards have been issued.
However, the Airports Council International, an advocacy association for U.S. airports, has called for an extension of the deadline. The organizations said their concern is that not enough travelers have Real ID, and the upcoming deadline will have negative impacts on passenger and airport operations.
Joe McBride, a spokesman for the Kansas City International Airport, is advising travelers to take the approaching deadline seriously.
"After October 1st, the way the law is now, if you don't have Real ID or a passport or some of the other types of identification, you won't be able to board your flight," McBride said.
In Kansas and Missouri, where it's optional to obtain a Real ID, recent numbers show people with Real ID are outnumbered by those who don't have one. According to the Kansas Department of Revenue, 1,011,790 residents have Real ID, while 1,288,560 people don't have the enhanced identification.
According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, 423,811 people have Real ID, but 941,492 people still do not.
Traveler Jody Kuiken doesn't have Real ID but does have a passport. The Iowa resident is concerned what airports may look like after Oct. 1.
"I think there will be delays because I didn't really know that much about it until someone mentioned it to me recently, so I wasn't aware I needed it and when the date was that I needed it to have it by," Kuiken said.
In order to obtain a Real ID from the Department of Motor Vehicles, people will need to show one document that verifies their legal name and date of birth; one document that verifies their citizenship or immigration status; a document with their Social Security number; and two documents that verify their home address.
