DHS Releases Draft Regulations for Real ID

Via GCN.com -

The Homeland Security Department has proposed standards for state-issued ID cards under the Real ID Act of 2005. The proposal was published in the Federal Register and is open for public comment. The proposal outlines measures that states will be required to implement for driver’s licenses and other identification cards by May 11, 2008, if they want the cards to conform to the act. Among the requirements are:

• Applicants for cards must present documentation to establish their identity and prove they are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. States may establish an exceptions process.
• States must verify the documents presented, using applicable technologies.
• All state-issued cards must include machine-readable technology such as a bar code or magnetic stripe, as a guard against counterfeiting.
• Each state must maintain a database of driver’s license information and make it available to all other states seeking information about license holders.

The act does not require states to issue Real ID identification cards, but cards that do not comply will not be acceptable as identification for federal agencies, according to the proposed rule. Provisions for issuing non-Real ID cards are primarily intended for people who hold more than one driver’s license or state-issued identification. The proposed rule holds that a person can only have one Real ID card at a time.

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It should be noted that Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) and others introduced a bill to repeal the act.

In reintroducting his bill on Feb. 28 to repeal the law, Akaka said, "As I said last year, the REAL ID Act will require every driver's licensing agency to collect and store substantial numbers of records containing licensees' most sensitive personally identifiable information, including one's social security number, proof of residence, and biometric identifiers such as a digital photograph and signature. If the state databases are compromised, they will provide one-stop access to virtually all information necessary to commit identity theft."

Also, it should be noted that these Real ID cards would contain RFID. Which has been pulled into the spotlight again with the IOActive stuff at BH Federal this week.