Your Massachusetts License Might Prevent You From Traveling

We all need our licenses to get behind the wheel of a car, prove our age to get drinks or cash a check, but soon your Massachusetts license may not be good enough to get into federal facilities, take a White House tour or even get aboard a commercial flight.

According to the Associated Press, Massachusetts in one of nine states that have not fully complied with a federal law called REAL ID. This law requires states to verify citizenship and update security standards when they issue licenses. But critics say it's just too expensive, unnecessary and infringes on privacy.

Still the state is working on it. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation told the Boston Globe that the state has applied for an extension to give it enough time to meet the law's requirements.

No word on how long that extension is, but if the state doesn't comply with the law soon, Massachusetts residents without other identification will wind up banned from White House tours next year and commercial flights as soon as 2016.