REAL ID

This was posted on the Ohio Homeland Security website:

"The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced today final rules establishing minimum security standards for state-issued driver licenses and identification cards.

Earlier today, Ohio Department of Public Safety and Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles officials received the 284-page final rule document and participated in a national conference call where DHS officials discussed today’s announcement.

“Our review of the proposed final guidelines for Real ID implementation is underway,” said Henry Guzmán, Director of the Ohio Department of Public Safety. “Throughout this evolving process, our primary concerns on a state level have always been the financial impact of implementing this new federal standard in license verification and issuance, and determining how REAL ID impacts how we serve our customers across the state.”

DHS officials confirmed during today’s conference call Ohio was the first state to be granted an extension to comply with the provisions of the REAL ID act. In collaboration with the General Assembly, state officials initiated the request for an extension to federal officials in October and received notification from DHS officials granting an extension on December 10.

The first deadline for compliance with REAL ID is December 31, 2009. By that date, states must complete an initial upgrade of the security of their license systems.

REAL ID addresses document fraud by setting specific requirements that states must adopt for compliance, including (1) information and security features that must be incorporated into each card; (2) proof of the identity and U.S. citizenship or legal status of an applicant; (3) verification of the source documents provided by an applicant; and (4) security standards for the office that issue licenses and identification cards.

ODPS officials will work closely with the Governor’s Office and federal officials throughout the review process, Guzmán added.

For more information on today’s release of REAL ID regulations, visit www.dhs.gov. "

Ohio changes at a glacial pace sometimes. In this case, it may be a benefit as the challenges of implementing REAL ID are worked out. As Director Guzman points out, REAL ID will have financial costs associated with implementation that may be apparent until the program begins. There will also be an economic impact to businesses required to use REAL ID protocols. Those increased costs will be passed on to the customer through higher prices and processing fees. Even businesses that aren't required to use REAL ID, but still deal with other businesses that do, will experience higher costs associated with doing business. Cargo and freight companies could also be effected should REAL ID become a standard for port and terminal identification. It remains to be proven if these increased costs result in a corresponding reduction in terrorist attacks or activity. Hopefully metrics will eventually be created to allow an objective evaluation of REAL ID. Should it prove that REAL ID costs are disproportionate, then perhaps a re-evaluation would be in order much like DHS recently did with its goal of inspecting 100 percent of all inbound shipping containers.

The one thing about Ohio pedantic pace is it will allow lessons to be learned from othes as REAL ID begins to be implemented living up to Mark Twain's observation about Cincinnati. The author once quipped, "When the end of the world comes, I want to be in Cincinnati because it's always twenty years behind the times."