Residents of 11 States to Face Second Phase of REAL ID Enforcement

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Residents of 11 states will no longer be able to use their own state driver's licenses or ID cards as proof of identity to enter certain federal facilities starting Thursday, July 31. This comes after a three month notice period and meets the scheduled second phase of enforcement by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the REAL ID Act, which prohibits the federal government from accepting documents that do not meet minimum security standards.

DHS initiated phase one on April 21 of this year, and barred presenters of noncompliant licenses from admission into DHS headquarters in Washington, DC without additional identification. The third phase will be enforced on January 19, 2015 and will prohibit ID checkers from accepting noncompliant documents for entrance into semi-restricted areas of all federal facilities.

Full enforcement by DHS will come no sooner than 2016 and will require holders of noncompliant licenses and ID cards to present alternate identity documentation, such as a valid passport, before boarding commercial aircraft.

"We are encouraged to see that the Department of Homeland Security is meeting its schedule of enforcement," said Max Bluestein, Directory of Research for Keeping IDentities Safe. "The laggard states, those that do not issue secure enough credentials to meet the minimum federal standards, present a significant vulnerability to our national security and public safety. It is of the utmost importance that holders of these documents present reliable identification before entering secure areas, such as federal facilities or aircraft, to prevent imposter from accessing sensitive locations."

Alaska, Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington State, as well as American Somoa, are currently not compliant with the federal security standards and their residents will have to provide alternate identification upon enforcement. Alternate identification may include one federal ID or PIV card, U.S. Passport, permanent resident card, foreign passport, or U.S. military ID or two pieces of secondary ID. Minnesota, Washington State, and New York issue Enhanced Driver's Licenses, which do meet REAL ID standards and will be accepted, but these more secure documents are optional for residents and are not offered in every state.

About Keeping IDentities Safe:

Keeping IDentities Safe is a 501 (c) (3) non-partisan, not for profit, crime prevention education public charity, supported by donor contributions from across the United States.  Its slogan, "Working to protect the identity of every American", embodies its 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. Keeping IDentities Safe undertakes research projects addressing best practices for DMVs, compliance with federal laws and regulations, identity fraud prevention and related identity management topics. It provides research results and educational programs to the public and to state and federal officials. Keeping IDentities Safe is a member of the Document Security Alliance and of the American National Standards Institute.

SOURCE Keeping IDentities Safe