If you don't have a Real ID in Virginia, get one now

What to know: It's optional in Virginia, and won't be needed to drive, vote or open a bank account.

• It's also part of a decades-long push for the federal government to standardize identification nationwide.

Yes, but: It's been delayed for years because of states not wanting federal oversight of their systems, low compliance and pandemic-related admin hurdles.

By the numbers: The Virginia DMV has issued more than 3.9 million Real IDs since October 2018, spokesperson Camila Barco told Axios.

• That accounts for 56% of all active licenses and IDs statewide.
• It's difficult to know the number of eligible Virginians "because we don't know how many meet TSA's requirements," Barco added.
• For example, driver privilege card applicants can't get a Real ID license because they aren't citizens.

Fun fact: Since Jan. 1, the Virginia DMV has issued about 15,000-20,000 Real IDs per week.

• They're different from a regular license because they have a star in a black circle in the top right corner.

Sabrina's pro tip: Go to the DMV during the weekday if you can. I recently went on a Wednesday morning on Broad to renew my license and got through the process within 15 minutes.

Go deeper: Here's what you need to get a Real ID in Virginia.