NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — If you haven't gotten your REAL ID yet and you know that you'll need it, make your appointment now.

Hundreds of people waited in line today at Driver Service Centers across the state as people rush to get their REAL ID before the deadline of May 7. Once the deadline hits, anyone flying domestically will need a REAL ID. They'll also become necessary to enter certain federal facilities. People needing REAL IDs have waited for hours to complete the process.

"When I first got here, it was kind of out the door," Kaitlynn Stone said. "So people have been waiting for quite a long time."

Stone got to the Driver Service Center in Hickory Hollow at 10 a.m. When she spoke with News 2 at around 4 p.m., she said she had just finished the process.

"There was nowhere to really sit. You had to stand," Stone added. "It was all crowded [and] a little hot in there."

Once the deadline hits, anyone flying domestically will need a REAL ID. That's why Bella Zimberg was at the Hickory Hollow Driver Service Center Monday.

"[I]m] so happy it's over," Zimberg said. "I was so scared that I was [not] going to have all the right paperwork or that maybe I wouldn't make it, but I did. It only took one day, so we don't have to come back another day. I was scared about that."

"We want to make sure that people bring original copies or a certified copy," Charmaine McNeilly, deputy director of communications for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, said. "Photocopies are not accepted."

Officials said they knew they would see an increase in applicants as the federal deadline got closer.

"Our team members are working as much as they can to get people through this process as smoothly as possible," McNeilly said.

Officials suggested going to Driver Service Centers outside of metro areas for shorter wait times.

You can follow this link for more information about necessary documents, facilities offering REAL ID appointments and other frequently asked questions.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/long-waits-driver-service-centers-real-id-deadline-approaches/