DHS, States Could Compromise on Controversial ID Rules

A new report says the Department of Homeland Security could be close to striking a deal to end its standoff with some states over proposed new driver’s license rules, hopefully avoiding a dispute that could cause problems for air travelers.

The Associated Press’ Devlin Barrett is reporting that last Friday, a letter from a top DHS official suggested Washington may be backing off a fight over the Real ID law, which would require new security measures for state-issued driver’s licenses.

“South Carolina, Maine and Montana are the only states that have not sought extensions to comply, or already started toward compliance with Real ID, which was passed after the 2001 terror attacks on New York and Washington,” Barrett says. “On Friday, the federal agency granted Montana an extension, even though state officials didn’t ask for one and insist they will not adhere to the Real ID law.”

DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff had previously warned that if holdout states do not send a letter by the end of March seeking an extension, as of May, residents of such states will no longer be able to use their driver’s licenses as valid ID to board airplanes or enter federal buildings.

But last Friday, Barrett says DHS Assistant Secretary Stewart Baker wrote to the attorney general of Montana, saying that even though the state was explicitly not seeking an extension, it would be granted one anyway. Baker reasoned the state’s new license security measures already met many of the Real ID requirements anyway.

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