ST. PAUL — The Minnesota House overwhelmingly approved a bill Tuesday night that sets in motion necessary upgrades to Minnesota driver’s licenses.

The measure was approved in a 125-to-2 vote.

Rep. Dennis Smith, R-Maple Grove, told reporters before the House met that the bill would launch a study on how to comply with the federal Real ID Act. Upgraded licenses will be necessary to board domestic flights by October 2020.

The measures are part of a plan to eventually adopt upgrades to state licenses later this session, “so Minnesotans can continue to fly and have access to federal buildings and have entrance to military facilities throughout our country,” Smith said.

Minnesota is one of just five states that haven’t upgraded its IDs to meet the national standards. Though federal officials won’t start checking for the upgraded IDs at airport gates for a few years, legislative leaders want a new system in place by this fall so Minnesota residents can get their current licenses replaced in their normal, four-year renewal period.