As the date for Real ID enforcement rapidly approaches, the rush to apply for one has led to long lines at the DMVs in the Philadelphia region.

Starting May 7, adults will need a Real ID to board domestic flights and access certain federal buildings. If you don't have a Real ID after that date, you'll need to use a passport or other acceptable form of ID.

If you need a Real ID, prepare to wait

By noon on Tuesday, April 1, the line at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's Granite Run Licensing Center was already outside the door. People were waiting hours to get a Real ID, most saying it's been a real pain to acquire one.

"We were prepared to wait," Robert McGuire said.

"It's around the corner, by the way," John Ellis said of how deep the line is inside the DMV.

John Murphy wasn't expecting it to be like this.

"I came here and was like, 'What the hell?'" Murphy said.

People passed the time exchanging stories. Unfortunately for some, they've been here before.

It was Ellis's second time trying to get a Real ID.

"I made sure I brought it today," Ellis said, referring to vital documents.

Why some people have been turned away

The crush of customers seeking Real IDs is due to the approaching May 7 deadline, the date Real IDs will be officially required to board a commercial flight, enter federal buildings or offices that require identification, or enter a military base after that day. If you don't have a Real ID, you'll need a passport or other form of acceptable identification.

"I've seen ads in the paper that everyone needs it if you want to go in the federal building or an airplane," Yvonne Newkirk said.

The West Philadelphia woman finally got her Real ID, but it wasn't easy.

"Oh, for three days," she said. "The first day, I started at 70th and Lindbergh."

Newkirk went on to describe a multi-day dizzying crisscross of running around the city, gathering documents, like her marriage license.

"Could not find my marriage license," Newkirk said. "Now I'm hysterically crying and you're telling me I didn't get married, this and that and the other."

Back in Delaware County, the McGuires from Sharon Hill expected the wait. Other family members stood in line this past weekend, but because of a difference in names on documents, they left empty-handed.

"Actually, no, there was a snafu with her middle name," Dorothy McGuire said. "When she got married, she put the whole name and not just an initial."

McGuire, dealing with a recent double-hip replacement, eventually got inside. An hour later, disappointment.

"I have a certificate that I got married, what's the difference?" McGuire said.

No Real ID for her because of changing her name when she was married in 1978. She should have brought a copy of her marriage license.

"Doesn't that look like I got married?" McGuire said, showing off a marriage certificate that was rejected.

"You got people walking around here out in the cold, very disappointing," Christopher Ball said.

The Chester man was one of many who were turned away who approached CBS News Philadelphia. He didn't bring his Social Security card, which you might need. 

"I'm not coming back, I'm not doing this again," Ball said. "I'll go without it."

Others were denied the Real ID and were left confused. For Newkirk, though relieved, she had tough words about the experience.

"Incredibly confusing, incredibly," she said. "I was finally able to get my Real ID, which is $69.50. I'm a senior on a fixed income, so yesterday I put out damn near $150."

PennDOT told CBS News Philadelphia they've seen an "absolute increase" in Real ID demand. A spokesperson said the average wait time is 59 minutes. The spokesperson added that additional staff and service hours have been added, even going back to 2019, when the Real ID was first introduced. Locations are also offering Monday hours to deal with the crowds.

A spokesperson wrote in an email, "PennDOT has a Bureau of Real ID based in Harrisburg that focuses on processing REAL ID pre-verification requests and other Real ID-related items, and PennDOT has been hiring additional frontline staff since Real IDs became available in Pennsylvania in 2019. Additionally, we have added service hours on Mondays at select locations (when centers are normally closed) through our Real ID Days events. Next Monday, 57 locations will be open for Real ID services."

How to apply for a Real ID in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware

Each state is handling the Real ID process a little differently.

PennDOT told CBS News Philadelphia they've seen an "absolute increase" in Real ID demand. A spokesperson said the average wait time is 59 minutes. The spokesperson added that additional staff and service hours have been added, even going back to 2019, when the Real ID was first introduced. Locations are also offering Monday hours to deal with the crowds.

A spokesperson wrote in an email, "PennDOT has a Bureau of Real ID based in Harrisburg that focuses on processing REAL ID pre-verification requests and other Real ID-related items, and PennDOT has been hiring additional frontline staff since Real IDs became available in Pennsylvania in 2019. Additionally, we have added service hours on Mondays at select locations (when centers are normally closed) through our Real ID Days events. Next Monday, 57 locations will be open for Real ID services."

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commision says they're adding more than 3,000 appointments each morning on a rolling basis. There are 3,500 daily across the state, with 4,600 added every Thursday. The state has also launched its Saturday Mobile Unit events. However, every time we've gone to check online, we see there are currently no appointments, with the earliest available in July.

A Real ID is not mandatory. If you already have a passport, it may be wiser to wait until demand has eased up, according to officials.

A New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission spokesperson released the following statement:

As seen in states across the country, the demand for REAL ID now is extraordinarily high ahead of the start of federal enforcement in May. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) has repeatedly added and reallocated appointments to better meet that demand over the past several months. Our "REAL ID Thursdays" program opened up an additional 43,000+ appointments in March, and new Mobile Unit appointments will be brought online as we continue to coordinate events with local hosts across the state and add appointments for new Saturday Mobile Unit events, which begin April 5.

For those who have a standard New Jersey driver license, a REAL ID can be obtained either at a REAL ID appointment, a license renewal appointment (for those with licenses expiring within three months), or a Mobile Unit appointment. All appointments are booked through the scheduler on the NJMVC's website.

Besides the appointments currently available, approximately 3,500 new appointments for REAL ID upgrades are added each morning on a rolling basis. On top of that, over 4,600 appointments will be added for each new "REAL ID Thursday" as they roll over on the scheduler. (Once again, we recently boosted these appointment figures.)

Appointments are regularly added as customers cancel or modify their appointments, as well. If a customer cannot make their appointment, we urge them to please cancel or reschedule it so that the appointment slot can be opened up to service someone else. 

For individuals who do not have a standard New Jersey driver license, a REAL ID can also be obtained via NJMVC at a non-driver ID appointment; at an out-of-state transfer appointment (for new NJ residents); and, for new NJ drivers only, at a walk-in transaction after they pass their road test.

The NJMVC is processing record numbers of in-person transactions, especially REAL IDs, and we continue to evaluate our operations and capacity each week, looking to add as many appointments for REAL ID as possible.

Some additional points of clarification:

• Federal REAL ID enforcement is set to begin on May 7. The NJMVC will continue to issue REAL IDs up to and after May 7. The upcoming enforcement date is most relevant for those individuals who plan to fly domestically in the short term and do not have a form of identification that will meet federal requirements.
• Getting a REAL ID is not mandatory. Due to a variety of factors, including the relatively high number of passport holders in New Jersey, it is not clear how many eligible New Jersey residents will need or want to get a REAL ID. If you have a passport or another federally accepted ID, you may use it to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities indefinitely, or until you are able to obtain a REAL ID driver license or ID at a convenient time.
  
• We encourage New Jerseyans to make an informed decision about whether a REAL ID is right for them. Visit our dedicated website at REALID.nj.gov to learn more and make sure you have the required REAL ID documents before you book an appointment. Additionally, make sure you bring all the documents to your appointment. Many customers – over 500 last week -- are showing up to their appointments unprepared. The NJMVC cannot issue a REAL ID unless all federal requirements are met.
  
• Standard New Jersey driver licenses will remain valid for driving and other identification purposes.
  
• Questions or concerns related to federal REAL ID enforcement should be directed to the TSA. The TSA has indicated that it will announce additional information about phased enforcement plans on its website, TSA.gov, but that information is still pending.

A detailed guide on how to get a Real ID in Delaware is posted on the state's Division of Motor Vehicles website.