Nearly eight years after Congress first passed the REAL ID Act, half of US states are in compliance, says the DHS.

REAL ID sets voluntary security standards for states to follow in issuing drivers licenses and state IDs. States may choose not to follow REAL ID standards or even decide to implement them in different ways. Yet, after December 1, 2014, the majority of non-compliant IDs will not be accepted for “official purposes,” e.g., boarding a commercial plane or entering a federal building.