REAL ID Act,
 

As soon as January 2016, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will begin implementing the final phase of the so-called REAL ID Act, which sets standards for state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards acceptable by federal agencies for official purposes. Under the final phase, which will begin "no sooner than 2016," residents of "non-compliant" states will no longer be allowed to present state-issued driver's licenses as identification for air travel, but instead will be required to present "alternative forms of identification – such as a U.S. Passport." As of today, the non-compliant jurisdictions are: American Samoa, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York. It is up to those states, working with the federal government, to come up with a solution to this problem.

Implementation of REAL ID has been repeatedly delayed over the past 10 years to provide additional time for states to comply, and it is possible that further extensions could be granted. DHS has promised that before this final phase is implemented, it "will conduct an evaluation to inform a fair and achievable timeline. The date for implementing Phase 4 will be set after the evaluation has been complete; this phase will occur no sooner than 2016...DHS will ensure the public has ample advanced notice before identification requirements for boarding aircraft."

Given that not being able to use a driver's license to board an airplane for domestic travel could prove extremely disruptive to residents and travel businesses in the non-compliant states, ASTA has created a grassroots portal for members in those states to contact their state legislators and ask them to address this problem. If you live in Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire or New York.

Thanks for the info which immediately brings to mind a couple of questions:

How many undesirables have been caught using unacceptable IDs? How many do they estimate have passed security unnoticed using such IDs?

The act states "No Sooner than 2016." Does anybody honestly think that means this will be implemented as soon as January 2016?

I don't sweat the small stuff, and to me this doesn't even make the small stuff list.

Yawn.

What is ASTA?

There has been zero coverage of this of late in the media, which tells me that there is zero chance of this being implemented in 4 months' time.

To Michael's point, the idea of a federal ID has been kicking around for decades, but it is terribly unpopular in the US, partly because or federalist principles and partly because it does appear to be solving a problem that doesn't exist.

"... this phase will occur no sooner than 2016"

Yep, that's the operative phrase here.

They just announced on the news that this will go into effect "sometime" in 2016.

Kind of makes you wonder what is so abnormal about the drivers licenses in NH and NY and MN. I just looked at a photo of one from NY and it seems to have the basic info you'd need, DOB and photo.

The Louisiana ones have all the info but the type is so small it's a real PITA to read. After having 3 different TSA agents (in other states) comment on this - I have just gone back to using my passport. Much easier, and I don't have to dig the DL out of my wallet.

It's not what's on the license that's the problem, it's the documentation that the DMV allows in order to get the license that the feds have decided is insufficient. I have a NY EDL, which can be used instead of a passport or passport card for land travel to/from Canada (and I suppose Mexico, though I'm not sure I'd want to try it) which does meet the REAL ID requirements, while my wife has a regular NYS license. The only visible difference is mine has a little American flag at the bottom. (Mine also has an imbedded RFID chip with the "passport" information that DHS reads at the border, but I don't think TSA has any way to access that.) The big difference was when I got my EDL, there were only a few types of documents I could use to prove identity and citizenship, and I had to be interviewed independently by 2 different DMV clerks. A normal license only requires 1 clerk and has a much longer list of allowable documents.