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Real ID is a driver's license that complies with standards mandated by the United States Real ID Act of 2005. The Real ID Act originally set a deadline for implementation of May 2008, after which time any driver's license that did not conform to the federal mandate would not be accepted for authentication. After the legislation was met with considerable opposition from state governments, however, the deadline was extended until 2011. Under the law, individuals without a Real ID would be unable to enter federal buildings, board airplanes or open bank accounts.
The Real ID Act orders that state agencies issue driver's licenses with:
- The full legal name, signature, date of birth, gender and address of the principal residence of the holder.
- A driver's license or identification card number.
- A photograph of the license holder's face.
- Physical security features designed to prevent counterfeiting or duplication of the ID, including a hologram.
- Machine-readable bar codes that can include additional data.
Notably, the Real ID Act also mandated that each state must share its driver's license records with all other states, creating a nationally interlinked database. Industry experts have raised concerns about the practicality and dangers of such a database with respect to identity theft.
State governments have opposed the program because of the considerable costs of implementation, most of which would be shouldered by individuals and state agencies. Currently, 19 states have passed resolutions opposing Real ID.
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Last updated on: May 05, 2008
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