SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – Many licensed drivers in Iowa have not converted their identification to a version that is designed to help reduce identity theft and fraud. The Sioux City Journal reports two years after Iowa implemented the REAL ID program, only about 250,000 of Iowa’s 2.1 million licensed drivers have switched to identification that may be needed in the future to enter some federal buildings or board a plane.

Mark Lowe, the director of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Motor Vehicle Division, says he is not surprised by the low number, and that the department needs to continue its awareness campaign to increase conversion. REAL ID was adopted in 2005, in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, to help states verify the identities of people applying for driver’s licenses and cut down on identity theft.

Iowa residents are not required to get a REAL ID driver’s license.