The Division of Homeland Safety mentioned Monday it’s once more pushing again the enforcement of Actual ID necessities for state driver’s licenses and ID playing cards. The most recent delay strikes states’ compliance deadline to Might seventh, 2025.
Handed by Congress in 2005 as a response to the Sept. eleventh, 2001 terrorist assaults, the Actual ID Act requires stricter documentation for boarding flights and coming into federal or nuclear amenities. For instance, to get a Actual ID-compliant driver’s license or state ID card, it’s good to present paperwork to your identify, date of start, handle, Social Safety card and start certificates.
The DHS says the necessities improve state IDs’ reliability and accuracy. Officers can rapidly see whether or not a card is Actual ID-compliant by in search of the gold star within the higher right-hand nook.
When the invoice handed, states initially had a 2008 compliance deadline. However after some states and US territories refused to play ball, the cutoff confronted delay after delay. Regardless of the ever-shifting deadlines, 13 states rolled out help in 2012. The checklist grew within the following years as reluctant states confronted the prospect of getting their residents blocked from flights. However the COVID-19 pandemic led to much more kicking of the can, and right this moment’s cutoff level pushes it again from Might 2023 to Might 2025.
“DHS continues to work carefully with US states, the District of Columbia, and the US territories to satisfy Actual ID necessities,” mentioned Secretary of Homeland Safety Alejandro N. Mayorkas in a information launch right this moment. “This extension will give states wanted time to make sure their residents can receive a Actual ID-compliant license or identification card. DHS may even use this time to implement improvements to make the method extra environment friendly and accessible. We’ll proceed to make sure that the American public can journey safely.”
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