RICHMOND, VA — Beginning in October of 2020, Virginia residents who travel by plane and use their driver's license as their sole source of identification will need a secondary form of identification, such as a passport, to board domestic flights — the reason being that stepped-up regulations approved more than 10 years ago are now beginning to kick in across the country.

The mandate was supposed to have taken effect next year, but the Virginia Department of Transportation has applied for — and expects to receive — an extension, a spokesman said Tuesday. Said DMV chief Richard Holcomb in a release: "DHS has acknowledged Virginia's commitment and recently indicated an intent to grant Virginia an extension for compliance until at least October. We are confident DHS will grant us further extensions to enable us to fully implement these new credentials without impacting Virginians who need identification to fly or do business."

By October 2020, the Department of Homeland Security will require all U.S. citizens to use a federally approved credential, such as the REAL ID, passport or Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) if they wish to fly. In October 2017, as Virginia demonstrates further progress toward compliance, DHS will evaluate whether to

issue another extension until Virginia begins issuing the new cards in October 2018.

The REAL ID program became law in 2005 after the recommendation by the 9-11 Commission. The Virginia Department of Transportation notified Homeland Security this month that it plans to be in full compliance by the Oct. 1 deadline. From the Virginia DMV: "As of January 22, 2018, you will need an alternative identification to fly in the U.S. and access Federal facilities and nuclear power plants." This has been long coming but often overlooked.

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More from Holcomb: "Virginia will implement REAL ID with a bifurcated, or optional, approach, which will allow Virginians with existing licenses or ID cards to choose whether they want this new credential or not. If you are someone who prefers to travel by car or train, this ID may not be necessary for you. But, if you frequently fly domestically, you may want the REAL ID credential so you don't have to carry your U.S. passport to board a plane."

The screening process at U.S. airports has changed dramatically since September 11, 2001, when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two into the World Trade Center in New York, one into the Pentagon and one into a Pennsylvania field.

The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others. Ever since then, going to the airport to catch a flight has been forever changed. Some might find it hard to believe that a little more than 15 years ago, non-ticketed family members or friends could accompany a passenger to the boarding gate. In other words, you didn't need a ticket to pass through the security checkpoint. You also could stroll through said checkpoint after showing ID and wait for your returning party at the gate. That was then.