JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – On the eve of the nationwide implementation of the REAL ID, the director of the Missouri Department of Revenue said roughly 46% of Missouri license holders currently have the security-enhanced identification.

“May 7 is D-Day,” Director of Revenue Trish Vincent said. “You have to have a REAL ID to get on a domestic flight or get into a federal building or a nuclear power plant.”

“I don’t want people to get to the airport and not be able to get on their flight,” she added.

Vincent wasn’t surprised that only half of license bearers in the state are REAL ID compliant.

“Our law, which was passed in 2017, is a hybrid. You can get a REAL ID or you don’t have to get one,” the director said. “So, we’re not mandating it.”

She says if you’re unsure if you have one or not, just look up in the top right corner of your state-issued license.

“On the REAL ID on the upper right-hand corner, there is a yellow circle and has a white star in it – that’s a REAL ID,” she said. “If it doesn’t have the star, then it’s going to say NOT for REAL ID Purposes.”

According to the department of revenue, “It typically takes 7 to 10 days for a REAL ID to arrive in the mail.”

The director stressed that the temporary paper license will not be accepted for boarding domestic flights and that you must wait for the actual REAL ID to use it.

“We need to prepare because we are kind of in vacation season,” Vincent said. “If you have children under the age of 18, they don’t have to have a REAL ID, but again, look ahead.”

“If you’re traveling in August, go ahead and come in in June and get that all taken care of,” she said.

The director made the comments on the eve of the REAL ID deadline, and in front of her department’s brand-new mobile licensing office.

The trailer is fully equipped with all of the tools and resources needed to completely operate a license office on wheels.

“We have 174 contract offices that handle licenses and registration,” Vincent said. “If one of those were closed down, we can take the mobile unit to serve that community.”

Vincent said mobile license unit is ready to go anywhere, including tornado-damaged regions.

“If we have a disaster like we did recently in Rolla… (the new mobile unit) would have been great to be able to take in residents,” she said. “We want to make sure it’s out there serving the public, that’s what it’s for.”