(ABC 6 News) – If you have any upcoming travel plans where you have to fly, pretty soon you’ll need a REAL ID to board the plane.

You’ll need to get it by May 7, unless you want to experience significant delays at the airport.

You’ll also need a REAL ID to enter certain federal facilities, military bases, federal courthouses or nuclear power plants.

The REAL ID will take about eight weeks to arrive in the mail after you apply, and your temporary paper copy won’t count as a substitute through TSA checkpoints in the meantime.

“TSA does have phased enforcement or enforcement flexibilities. We don’t quite know what that’s going to look like at the checkpoint yet,” said Jessica Mayle, TSA Regional Spokesperson. “You might still be able to get through, but I would say give yourself lots of time, extra time than you would probably give yourself on May 6.”

To get the REAL ID, you’ll need to bring proof of your identity and date of birth, social security number and two different proofs of residence.

If you are changing your name, you’ll need extra documentation, such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, adoption decree or proof of a court-ordered name change.

However, you do not need to provide documentation if you are changing your gender marker.

All the documents you present when applying for the REAL ID must be originals, photocopies, scanned images or digital documents will not be accepted.

A full list of documents you can bring when you apply can be found here.

In Olmsted County, the Property Records and Licensing Dept. has been extra busy the last few weeks with an uptick of people trying to get their Real IDs before the deadline.

To make the process faster, you can pre-apply for your REAL ID on the DVS website and use Olmsted County’s online check-in system to secure your appointment time.

There is a small allowance for walk-in appointments, but it’s best to secure a time because they are filling up fast, and you can avoid a longer wait.

Olmsted County does work with people who don’t have a permanent address and need a new ID by registering them with the address of a shelter they stay at, such as The Landing MN.

There are still some alternatives that will be acceptable in place of a REAL ID, including your passport, and if you live in Minnesota, a state Enhanced Driver’s License. A full list of acceptable form of identification can be found on the TSA website.

Children under the age of 18 are not required to have a REAL ID.