In a little over a year, your regular driver's license will not cut it anymore when traveling. Why? The Transportation Security Administration has been warning citizens for years now that anyone boarding a domestic flight will need a Real ID-compliant license. The change is supposed to go into effect October 2020, so you have plenty of time to get yourself a Real ID. But what is that?

Homeland Security's website states: "Passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act enacted the 9/11 Commission's recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.” The Act established minimum security standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for official purposes licenses and identification cards from states that do not meet these standards. States have made considerable progress in meeting this key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission and every state has a more secure driver's license today than before the passage of the Act."

It looks a lot like your old license, but Real IDs will have a little star on the top right corner. Depending on how old your license is and what state is was issued in, you may have one and not even know it. There are only a handful of states that have not started issuing these compliant licenses: Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Oklahoma, California, and Rhode Island.

What if you don't update to a Real ID by then? As long as you're not using it to fly domestically, then you're fine. You can still use a US passport or permanent resident card to board domestic flights, too. So, you can still fly without a Real ID, but it probably wouldn't hurt to update to the new standard. Who knows, down the line you may need one for other purposes.

If you have questions about this topic, visit Homeland Security's FAQ or the TSA's FAQ.