After years of delays, REAL ID will go into effect on Wednesday. However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said travelers without a compliant identity document can still travel with some extra steps.

The REAL ID Act was passed in May 2005, based on recommendations from the commission that investigated the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, to form a national ID standard. The original deadline was May 2008, but has been delayed several times with the final deadline being set for May 7.

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Noem said Tuesday that 81% of travelers who go through airports are already REAL ID compliant, but beginning tomorrow, those who do not have a REAL ID will require some extra verification to fly.

“What will happen tomorrow is folks will come through the [airport security] line and will issue their ID and show it. If it’s not compliant, they may be diverted to a different line, have an extra step, but people will be allowed to fly,” Noem said at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday.

“We recognize that this is a security issue. Congress has had many, many years to reevaluate it and decide if they wanted to change the law or to stop it, and the Biden administration chose that it should go into place on May 7,” she added. “And we intend to follow the law, so we will make sure that it is as seamless as possible, and that travelers will get to stay on their intended itinerary.”

She also noted other forms of ID permitted at airport security beginning Tuesday. The Transportation Security Administration has a list on its website of valid forms of ID, including REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses, passports, passport cards, Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, FAST, Department of Defense IDs, permanent resident cards, border crossing cards, Tribal IDs from federally recognized tribes, among others.

The TSA said an officer may ask additional questions to verify someone’s identity if they do not present a compliant ID. If a person’s identity cannot be confirmed or the person does not cooperate, they will be denied access to the security checkpoint.

HOW STATES ARE PREPARING FOR THE LOOMING REAL ID DEADLINE

“The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process, which includes collecting information such as your name and current address to confirm your identity. If your identity is confirmed, you will be allowed to enter the screening checkpoint, where you may be subject to additional screening,” the TSA said on its website.

A REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID card is marked with a star icon at the top of the card. Additional information on how to get a compliant ID card can be found on the DHS’s website or any state Department of Motor Vehicles or equivalent agency’s website.