MARSHALL — Starting less than a month from now, new identification requirements will kick in for people taking domestic flights in the U.S. As the May 7 deadline gets closer, there’s been an increase in people getting REAL ID cards at the Lyon County Government Center.

“Almost everyone coming in is either trying to get (REAL ID), or is asking about how to get it,” said Brock Schultz, at the Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer’s Office. Schultz said the Lyon County driver’s license office, which is run through the Auditor/Treasurer’s Office, has been seeing an increase in the numbers of people visiting each day.

Starting May 7, people age 18 and older will not be able to use a standard driver’s license or ID card to board domestic flights, or enter certain federal facilities like military bases, Schultz said. In order to fly, they will need to show a REAL ID driver’s license or ID card, an enhanced driver’s license, or other approved forms of ID like a passport.

As of March 1, only about 40% of Minnesotans had REAL ID, Schultz said. It’s not a requirement for everyone. “It’s more if you want to have the opportunity to fly,” he said.

A Minnesota enhanced driver’s license will also meet REAL ID requirements, but it also has some additional benefits, Schultz said.

An enhanced driver’s license will not only work for domestic flights, but will also allow travel into Canada or Mexico on land or by boat, Schultz said. An enhanced license or ID can also be used for Caribbean travel by sea.

“Those have been popular, too,” Schultz said. However, Lyon County was seeing more applications come in for REAL ID than for enhanced driver’s licenses.

Schultz said currently, REAL ID cards take about six weeks to arrive. People can still apply for REAL ID even after May 7. But if you know you have a flight coming up, “You’re going to want to come in here as soon as you can,” he said.

Applying for a REAL ID requires a few different documents to prove identity and current Minnesota residency. Acceptable identity documents include a U.S. passport, a certified birth certificate, a permanent resident card or a certificate of citizenship. Applicants will also need to know their Social Security number, but they do not need to bring their Social Security card, Schultz said.

Applicants also need to bring two different documents proving current Minnesota residency. Examples include an income tax return, a bank or credit card statement, a utility bill or a pay stub.

If a person’s name has changed from what it was on their birth certificate, they also need to bring proof of the name change. That can include certified copies of a marriage certificate, a divorce decree, an adoption decree or a court-ordered name change. Schultz said if an applicant has had more than one name change in their life, they will need to bring documents proving each name change.

More information on REAL ID is available on Lyon County’s website, at https://www.lyonco.org/departments/driver-license-and-identification-cards. People can schedule an appointment at the driver’s license office, and access lists of the kinds of documents needed to apply for a REAL ID or enhanced driver’s license.