Ah, America. Where you’re free and even encouraged to travel as you please without restriction. Well, unless you’re Belgian or South African. And, in a few years, unless you’re an American:
The REAL ID Act requires that a REAL ID driver’s license be used for “official purposes,” as defined by DHS. In the proposed rule, DHS is proposing to limit the official purposes of a REAL ID license to those listed by Congress in the law: accessing a Federal facility; boarding Federally-regulated commercial aircraft; and entering nuclear power plants. DHS may consider expanding these official purposes through future rulemakings to maximize the security benefits of REAL ID.
So despite what the tin foil hat brigade may say, this doesn’t appear to be quite as fascistic as it initially sounds. No national database of driver’s licenses is being set up. The federal government isn’t forcing RFID chips down our throats (other than at night when they sedate you and simulate an alien abduction). In fact, a Georgia driver’s license currently meets the minimum REAL ID standards:
The proposed regulation would require each of the following on the face of REAL IDs; space available for 39 characters for full legal name; address of principal residence; digital photograph; gender; date of birth; signature, document number; and machine readable technology.
Machine readable technology here meaning a barcode, which most states, including Georgia, already use. In fact, Georgia licenses are already more intrusive as they require fingerprints, but the REAL ID rules don’t. Of course, it wouldn’t be a federal program without some hassles. For example, there’s no specific funding:
DHS will enable States to use up to 20% of a State’s Homeland Security Grant Program funds for REAL ID compliance efforts.
So forget about protecting the world’s largest toenail pile or the Brooklyn Bridge, need to spend that money on designing and implementing new driver’s licenses. Oh and states have to start issuing the new licenses by May of next year. Unless they get an extension in which case they have until the end of 2009. Best of all
All licenses and identification cards held by individuals from a State must be compliant by May 10, 2013.
Hmm. When I renewed my driver’s license this year I coughed up the extra money for a 10 year license so it won’t expire until four years after that date. (On top of which the longest issuance period allowed for REAL IDs is only eight years.) I suspect I’ll be forced to acquire a new license before mine actually expires or else risk being declared an unlawful enemy combatant.
For those who need a sleep aide, the full 162 page proposed guidelines are available on the DHS website. As the rules are still just at the proposal stage, you can
Submit comments by [Insert date 60 days after date of publication in the Federal Register]
which is sloppy government speak for 60 days after March 1st. (Such a shame that all the federal proofreaders died or went mad during the PATRIOT Act Reauthorization Semicolon Debacle of 2005.)