Haupt says the feds want a passport or birth certificate when you renew a license; something IL doesn’t require.
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Travelers will be able to keep using their driver’s licenses as identification when passing through airport security thanks to a new extension granted by the Department of Homeland Security and Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
States that have chosen not to comply say the act is an unfunded mandate from the federal government, and they question whether national standards for driver’s licenses and the like will truly deter terrorists.
Dunlap said the Legislature has voted against several provisions of the REAL ID Act, so state law will have to be changed to fully comply with federal law.
DHS’s answer is no: “Each jurisdiction continues to issue its own unique license, maintains its own records, and controls who gets access to those records and under what circumstances”. The act also provides for sharing license holder information with other states and the federal government.
“The overall goal of the REAL ID Act passed by Congress is to prevent the fraudulent issuance and use of driver’s licenses and identification cards, thereby ensuring the safety and security of the American public”, said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson.
IL does have anti-forgery features built into its licenses and will be offering a new version in 2016, but it is short of other requirements the Real ID Act demands.
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Their driver’s licenses were at risk of not getting them inside any federal facility, or on an airplane. Secretary of State officials plan to work with the state’s General Assembly about working toward funding the necessary changes over the course of two to three years to bring the state into compliance with Real ID standards. That’s something the state doesn’t require now.
