In the wake of the Sept. 11 tragedy, the federal government quickly passed Real ID as part of a rider spending bill in 2005 in the second round of anti-terrorist laws. The bill requires states to implement model laws that will create a standard processing method for creation of driver's licenses as well as a common database that can be accessed by officials from any state in the U.S. This federal mandate has proven to be quite a burden for states as we struggle with our own slowing state revenue.
Initially, states were required to comply by May 2008. However, nearly all states have filed for extensions, and Wisconsin has been granted an extension until Dec. 31, 2009, to be materially compliant with Real ID. That means we need to have all of the internal systems in place to be able to launch Real ID in Wisconsin the following day. Additionally, all Wisconsin drivers under the age of 50 must have a valid Real ID by Dec. 1, 2014, and those over 50 by Dec. 1, 2017. Because of the term of our driver's license and the timeline of Real ID, the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles has estimated close to 1 million drivers will have to renew their license outside of their normal renewal cycle to obtain a legal Real ID. That renewal expense will have to be covered by each Wisconsin citizen.
The Real ID is not just for drivers. Anyone over the age of 18 who wants to fly, enter a federal building, or engage in any other official purpose as determined by the Federal Department of Homeland Security needs to have a Real ID, or face the consequences of trying to prove their identity. There has been discussion that opening a bank account at a federally insured financial institution may be included as an official purpose that would require a Real ID.
As I am sure you can imagine, states have not been happy about the unfunded mandate of Real ID or the significant policy changes that have to be made to state databases, driver's license issuance, and the required verification and sharing of information throughout all of the states. There will have to be extensive and expensive changes to the way we operate driver's licenses in Wisconsin. The Department of Transportation is currently working on a plan, but they likely will lose targeted funds as a part of the current state budget repair debate.
Real ID is a quagmire of bureaucracy, and while it certainly will achieve a national photo data source with all personal information about every person legally in this country, it does create real implementation problems. Security and secondary use of personal information collected in the Real ID databases MUST be addressed by the states or federally. In addition, the public MUST be prepared for the fact that they will need to bring to the Department of Motor Vehicles their current driver's license, their Social Security card, their birth certificate, their passport if they have one, proof of current residence, and legal documentation if all of this information does not match up (like if you got married and changed your name).
For more information on Real ID, please contact my office at (888) 549-0027 or (608) 266-6670 or e-mail me at sen.erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, represents the 27th Senate District, which includes Green County and parts of Dane, Rock and Lafayette counties.
Initially, states were required to comply by May 2008. However, nearly all states have filed for extensions, and Wisconsin has been granted an extension until Dec. 31, 2009, to be materially compliant with Real ID. That means we need to have all of the internal systems in place to be able to launch Real ID in Wisconsin the following day. Additionally, all Wisconsin drivers under the age of 50 must have a valid Real ID by Dec. 1, 2014, and those over 50 by Dec. 1, 2017. Because of the term of our driver's license and the timeline of Real ID, the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles has estimated close to 1 million drivers will have to renew their license outside of their normal renewal cycle to obtain a legal Real ID. That renewal expense will have to be covered by each Wisconsin citizen.
The Real ID is not just for drivers. Anyone over the age of 18 who wants to fly, enter a federal building, or engage in any other official purpose as determined by the Federal Department of Homeland Security needs to have a Real ID, or face the consequences of trying to prove their identity. There has been discussion that opening a bank account at a federally insured financial institution may be included as an official purpose that would require a Real ID.
As I am sure you can imagine, states have not been happy about the unfunded mandate of Real ID or the significant policy changes that have to be made to state databases, driver's license issuance, and the required verification and sharing of information throughout all of the states. There will have to be extensive and expensive changes to the way we operate driver's licenses in Wisconsin. The Department of Transportation is currently working on a plan, but they likely will lose targeted funds as a part of the current state budget repair debate.
Real ID is a quagmire of bureaucracy, and while it certainly will achieve a national photo data source with all personal information about every person legally in this country, it does create real implementation problems. Security and secondary use of personal information collected in the Real ID databases MUST be addressed by the states or federally. In addition, the public MUST be prepared for the fact that they will need to bring to the Department of Motor Vehicles their current driver's license, their Social Security card, their birth certificate, their passport if they have one, proof of current residence, and legal documentation if all of this information does not match up (like if you got married and changed your name).
For more information on Real ID, please contact my office at (888) 549-0027 or (608) 266-6670 or e-mail me at sen.erpenbach@legis.wisconsin.gov.
- Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Waunakee, represents the 27th Senate District, which includes Green County and parts of Dane, Rock and Lafayette counties.
