Starting on October 10, 2016, federal agencies will not accept Texas driver’s licenses to access their offices. So, you are going to visit a program director’s office, military base, or federal lab this fall, you will need another form of identification to gain access.

This is because October 10, 2016 is the day Texas falls out of compliance with the REAL ID Act. The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 and redefines the minimum security standards for identification, such as driver’s licenses, based on the 9/11 Commission recommendations. Although states are not required to comply with the REAL ID standards, federal agencies are prohibited by accepting any identification out of compliance.

If you have a current US passport, bringing it with you is the simplest workaround. If your driver’s license is from another state, check here to see if your identification is compliant. As of this writing, 24 states are compliant with the REAL ID.

The Office of Research recommends while you are planning your meeting to a federal location, ask what identification you can use to gain access.