Real ID Act now a Reality

Last May, the Real ID Act became the law of the land (P.L. 109-13). The bill, H.R. 418, was appended to an $82 billion military spending bill. The idea is that all Americans will be carrying driver’s licenses and state issued ID cards that will conform to national standards. These federally approved (by the Department of Homeland Security) IDs will be the only ones valid for air travel, opening bank accounts, and using government services. All current driver’s license and ID holders will be required to re-verify their identity with the state, meaning they must bring their documentation (birth certificate, photo ID, SS card, etc.) to a DMV in order to receive a new DL/ID card. The new law requires that the 245 million DL/IDs currently out there be renewed and re-issued according to the new standards within five years. Now, the National Governors Association is protesting that the states will not be able to afford the $11 billion price tag to comply with the federal law. Read the report of the National Governors association here.

Read an article about the effect of the Real ID Act on the average citizen here.