Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles Receives Identity Protection Award from the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coalition for a Secure Driver's License (CSDL), a national non-profit crime prevention educational public charity based in Washington, D.C., presented its Identity Protection Award to the Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Delaware Governor Jack Markell attended the ceremony yesterday, along with Transportation Secretary Shailen Bhatt and DMV Director Jennifer Cohan. Governor Markell congratulated the DMV for maintaining excellent customer service while meeting the federal driver's license security rules of Public Law 109-13 (REAL ID).

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Governor Markell stated, "With respect to REAL ID, it is clearly the right thing to do. I know it was a big undertaking, but the way you [Delaware DMV personnel] were able to deliver fantastic service while providing a heightened level of security - it is really a win-win."

"I want to thank the people at DMV for their great work, specifically with secure driver's licenses. You have demonstrated yourselves as a model for the nation," he concluded.

The Identity Protection Award recognizes the DMV's enhancements to its driver's license process including: ensuring that the person photographed is the same person who submitted proofs of identity and signed the driver's license application; validating proofs of identity by comparing them with state and federal records; and when imposters are detected, taking corrective action to refer cases to law enforcement for investigation and criminal prosecution.  These security upgrades strengthen driver's licenses as the first line of defense against identity fraud.

DMV Director Jennifer Cohan said, "When we started down this road in 2008, we had to completely revamp how we issue driver's licenses and identification cards using limited resources. Our initial database scrubbing identified more than 1,300 cases of criminal activity which we handled appropriately. Today, receiving recognition from the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License is icing on the cake for us."

The Coalition for a Secure Driver's License (CSDL) also honored fifteen DMV members with a special certificate of achievement to commend their hard work. Each personalized certificate is in recognition for tremendous contributions to the DMV processes which provide Delaware citizens with an exemplary means of reliable identification.

CSDL President Brian Zimmer said, "Through a multi-year team effort, the Division of Motor Vehicles has enacted processes that guard against the considerable and growing risk of criminals stealing personal identity information. Together, the result has been many investigative referrals to law enforcement regarding potential imposters. That's real protection for Delaware residents."

Delaware is one of nineteen states meeting national driver's license standards under Public Law 109-13.  Delaware is one of only ten states authorized by the Department of Homeland Security to affix a gold star on their driver's licenses and IDs.

"Delaware's gold star driver's licenses and IDs mean more than safety and travel convenience for state residents," added Zimmer. "In addition to validating proofs of identity offered by the public, the DMV has systematically established new fraud prevention measures."

About the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License:

The Coalition for a Secure Driver's License is a 501 (c) (3) non-partisan, not for profit, crime prevention education public charity, supported by donor contributions from across the United States. 

The CSDL slogan, "Working to protect the identity of every American," embodies our commitment to higher standards for both government and private entities that issue identity credentials, especially state agencies that issue driver's licenses and ID cards. CSDL undertakes research projects addressing best practices for DMVs, compliance with federal laws and regulations, identity fraud prevention and related identity management topics. CSDL provides research results and educational programs to the public and to state and federal officials and is a member of the Document Security Alliance and the American National Standards Institute.

Details are available on CSDL's website at www.secure-license.org.

SOURCE Coalition for a Secure Driver's License