Tick-tock, Arizonans, the clock's running out. You've got exactly one year to secure a new form of ID if you plan on flying, even domestically. As of May 7, 2025, the friendly skies won't be so hospitable if you're carrying a standard driver's license. According to the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT), you're going to need an Arizona Travel ID or risk being grounded at TSA checkpoints.

The Arizona Travel ID, distinguished by a gold star on the top right corner, is your ticket to compliance with federal rules that demand extra proof of who you are. Birth certificate, or U.S. passport, plus your Social Security number (just the number, folks) and a couple pieces of mail proving you live in the state should do the trick. Despite the impending deadline, ADOT suggests making an appointment—which you can snag at azmvdnow.gov—instead of just walking into one of their offices.

Don't think this is your run-of-the-mill ID. This shiny new credential sets you back $25 and stays valid for eight years—almost a decade of hassle-free travel. And you wouldn't want to procrastinate; lines are bound to be longer than a summer blockbuster as the deadline approaches. Already, "2.2 million Arizonans who have already upgraded to the Arizona Travel ID," per the latest news from ADOT.

So if you're planning to catch a flight after May 7, 2025, what are you waiting for? Don't be that person who's frantically searching for a last-minute passport. Get your documentation in order, and head over to azdot.gov/TravelID for the full list of what you'll need. It's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it—especially when "it" is the golden ticket to your next vacation. Remember, May 7, 2025, might seem distant, but time flies, and so will you with that Travel ID in hand.