Real Identification Act Requirements for State Issued Drivers' Licenses and Identification Cards: A Policy Analysis

摘要

State issued driver's licenses and identification (DL/ID) cards are commonly accepted in the U.S. as a valid form of identification, and once obtained allow the holder access to move about the country legally. In order to prevent terrorists from illegally obtaining state issued DL/ID cards the 9/11 commission recommended the federal government establish national standards for the state issuance of DL/ID cards. The federal government responded to this recommendation by implementing the Real Id Act of 2005 (RIDA). The act establishes minimum standards for the issuance of state issued DL/ID cards. After reviewing the Act, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) made the following four key recommendations needed to successfully implement the law: (1) Ensure that document verification systems are available nationally, (2) Allow states to adopt up to a ten year reenrollment process, (3) Exempt certain populations from the RIDA process, and (4) Provide the necessary federal funding to comply with the law. Eugene Bardach's A Practical Guide for Policy Analysis provides an eightfold path to more effective problem solving.