Most passengers breezed through identification checkpoints at Portland International Jetport on Wednesday as the federal Transportation Safety Administration began enforcing Real ID screening measures nationwide.

Of about 1,000 passengers who boarded planes from 6-10 a.m., 98% showed a Real ID, passport or other compliant identification, said Zachary Sundquist, assistant airport director.

Only 2% of passengers — less than two dozen — were required to undergo additional screening to verify their identity before boarding, he said. Exactly what happened during additional screenings, Sundquist said he didn’t know.

“For the vast majority of passengers, it was a normal day at the airport, without lines or waiting,” Sundquist said.

TSA agents on Wednesday started asking all commercial air travelers age 18 and up to show a Real ID or alternative federal identification. The requirement has been in the works for 20 years as a way to improve security.

Sundquist didn’t have a count of how many passengers used Real IDs Wednesday morning, but only 339,482, or 29%, of nearly 1.2 million eligible Mainers had received the new type of identification cards as of May 1, according to the Department of the Secretary of State.

That’s up slightly from 27% the previous month, when Maine, along with Washington state, had the third-lowest percentage of residents with Real IDs.

Most of the passengers interviewed Wednesday morning used passports, including Jim Hancock, of Scarborough, who was traveling to Jacksonville, Florida.

“I find no reason to get a Real ID,” he said. “I’ve got a passport.”

Meanwhile, Holly Merchant, of Bangor, said she made a point of getting her Real ID a couple of weeks ago, before traveling to California with her mother and daughter.

“I didn’t know a passport was sufficient,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure I would be able to travel without hassles.”

Bangor International Airport didn’t receive passengers for the Real ID startup because the facility is closed to air service each Wednesday in May for a runway repaving project.

WAITING FOR HOURS

While most passengers flowed easily through the Portland Jetport, it was a different story at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in Portland, where some people waited hours to get Real IDs.

It was standing room only inside the bureau, and at times more than 30 people waited in line outdoors. Employees from the Secretary of State’s office screened new arrivals to make sure they had birth certificates and other documents necessary to get a Real ID.

“It’s all hands on deck today,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, who helped out at BMVs in Topsham, Portland and Scarborough.

Maine BMVs have been busy for weeks in advance of the Real ID startup. More than 18,000 Real ID applications were processed in April — about 119 per hour, Bellows said.

The waiting line at the Portland BMV had diminished greatly by late morning, Bellows noted, in part because the TSA announced this week that it would phase in Real ID enforcement.

“Many people mistakenly thought that today was the deadline to get a Real ID,” Bellows said.

Jeremy Brown, a Monmouth resident who works in Portland, arrived at the Portland BMV at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, when he was No. 80 in line. He had time to go get a breakfast sandwich and coffee. Others got their number and went home to get missing documentation.

By 11:45 a.m., the bureau was serving No. 59 and Brown had made it to a seat indoors, but he was unflustered by the wait.

“I was committed to getting it done,” Brown said. “I’m renewing my license, so I’m getting the Real ID. I’d rather have everything.”

REAL ID OR PASSPORT?

Maine residents have the choice of getting a standard driver’s license or state ID, or one of either card that meets Real ID security standards.

Only New Jersey (17%) and Pennsylvania (26%) had lower rates of Real ID uptake than Maine, according to an analysis by CBS News. Thirty states have compliance rates under 70%, while a dozen states have rates above 96%.

The TSA announced Wednesday that 81% of U.S. travelers have IDs that comply with the Real ID requirements, including passports and military IDs.

“TSA will enforce REAL ID and ensure there is no impact to wait times or TSA screening applications, especially for those passengers who are prepared with their REAL ID, passport, or other acceptable form of ID,” the agency said in an emailed statement. “Passengers who present a state-issued identification that is not REAL ID compliant at TSA checkpoints and who do not have another acceptable alternative form of ID will be notified of their noncompliance and may be directed to a separate area to receive additional screening.”

The agency also said it would hand out warning notices to travelers who didn’t have ID that complied with Real ID standards.

The bright red flyer warns: “The ID you presented is NOT REAL ID-compliant. You will need a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification for your next flight or you may expect delays.”

‘NOT OPPOSED TO IT’

At the Portland Jetport on Wednesday, Patty and Robert Pieper, of Auburn, were traveling to New York City to visit family using their passports.

“We don’t have Real IDs, but we’re not opposed to it,” Patty Pieper said. When she renewed her driver’s license in January, the BMV staffer didn’t suggest it, but Pieper said she’ll probably get a Real ID in the future.

Robert Pieper said when he renewed his driver’s license several months ago, the BMV staffer was “super dismissive” of the need for a Real ID.

“I was like, fine, whatever, but I would much rather have the Real ID,” he said.

States have had about two decades to prepare for arrival of Real ID, which was introduced in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York City. But opposition from privacy advocates, including in Maine, stalled the rollout from its original date of Oct. 1, 2020, to Wednesday.

Maine was one of the last states to comply with the federal mandate in 2018.

Standards for a Real ID are consistent across the 50 states and involve a higher level of verification than standard driver’s licenses or IDs. An individual must bring proof of identification and citizenship/lawful status, such as a certified birth certificate; two forms proving residency; and a Social Security number. Proof of any legal name changes must also be provided, if applicable.

Real IDs, which have digital photos, can be used with facial recognition software. They also require the digital archiving of identity documents such as birth certificates or Social Security numbers.

The Real ID license costs about $9 per year, or $10 for older adults; a Real ID nondriver card is $5 a year; and a passport costs $16.50 per year for the first 10 years and $13 annually after that.

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