“Deadline” is a word often used to describe May 7, the day people getting on a commercial flight will be asked if they have a REAL ID, the type of driver’s license that meets new national identification standards.
But May 7 is not really a deadline for getting a REAL ID, and understanding why may help you decide when you actually need one.
For starters, REAL IDs will still be available after May 7. That’s why the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles, which issues REAL IDs, refers to May 7 as “implementation day,” the start of something rather than a deadline…