People wait their turn inside the BMV in Portland on Friday as offices statewide are overwhelmed with customers hoping to get a Real ID before the May 7 deadline. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

Maine’s Bureau of Motor Vehicles branches say they are overwhelmed with customers as a federal rule requiring Real ID-compliant licenses to board flights will soon go into effect after years of delays.

Starting on May 7, travelers must present a Real ID or use a passport to fly domestically. The nationwide requirement for the enhanced, more secure identification was passed after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, to standardize the process and curb the use of fake IDs, though the program has been delayed several times by states that were not ready to offer it.

The approaching deadline at last has led to an influx of visitors to BMV offices across the state, according to Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. As of April 1, only 27% of Mainers, or about 320,000 people, had Real IDs, according to the her office. The department estimated that an additional 15,000 enhanced licenses would be issued this month.

Bellows said in an interview Friday afternoon that her department has called in retired staff and other temporary support to handle the “record-breaking” number of visitors.

In February and March, the department recorded a steady increase of visitors to its branches compared to 2024, according to data provided by the office. March saw over 43,000 visitors, compared to last year’s 32,000, though not all of those appointments were exclusively for Real IDs.

The Department of Homeland Security said that 56% of IDs in circulation nationally met the requirements as of January 2024, according to the Associated Press. And about 81% of people flying recently have shown ID that would work once the new requirements kick in, according to a recent statement from Homeland Security.

There have been repeated efforts to further stall or scrap the switch. A bill in the Maine Legislature would direct BMV offices to stop issuing driver’s licenses and identification cards that meet Real ID standards out of concern that they compromise privacy.

Rep. Laurel Libby, R-Auburn, who sponsored a bill to repeal a state law that allows the secretary of state’s office to issue state IDs that comply with the federal REAL ID Act, has said the requirements are “a dangerous consolidation of personal information that undermines the privacy of law-abiding Americans.”

Bellows had pushed back on Real ID during her time as a state lawmaker and leader of the ACLU of Maine, but has since emphasized that if Maine did not comply, it would be the only state unable to provide its residents with a federally compliant credential.

A line forms outside the BMV in Portland on Friday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

People who have a passport or other federally recognized identification, like military IDs or Employment Authorization Documents, will still be able to board commercial flights without a Real ID, Bellows said Friday. She added that anyone who has moved to Maine from another country doesn’t need the Real ID for federal identification purposes.

For those who won’t be boarding a plane soon, Bellows suggested they make an appointment online to skirt the long wait times and obtain the card in the coming months.

“We have had customers panic that thought they couldn’t get a Real ID after May 7,” Bellows said. “We really want to clarify you can get a Real ID any time,” she said.

To get the card, which depicts a gold star in the top right corner, people must bring two documents to the BMV office to prove their Maine residency. Like standard driver’s licenses, they must also present a document like a passport or birth certificate to prove their identity, date of birth and lawful citizenship or status.

Customers are waited on inside the busy BMV office in Portland on Friday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Portland Press Herald

Bellows said that makes it more difficult for people who have changed their name, such as some married women, to obtain the enhanced card. If their passport or birth certificate doesn’t match their current name, she said, they must show proof of their name change, like a marriage license or court order.

The new ID cards cost $55 for people under 65 years old and $40 for those older than 65. The application can only be done in-person at the BMV.

“We ask all Mainers to bring their good sense of humor and their best selves to our branches,” Bellows said. “We’re here to help people get on their way.”

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