The state of New Hampshire has begun issuing driver’s licenses that meet the federal Real ID program – but that doesn’t mean you should race to the nearest DMV office.
“There’s no reason to rush down,” said Larry Crowe, public information officer for the state Division of Motor Vehicles. “Your license is still good until Oct. 1, 2020. Whatever license you have is still going to get you through TSA (at airports), still get you into federal buildings.”
Participation in Real ID is optional in New Hampshire, so even if your license has to be renewed this year it does not have to become part of the federal program – although if it isn’t, in three years you might not be allowed to board a commercial flight.
As of Jan. 3, anybody who gets their New Hampshire driver’s license or non-driving identification updated has the option of participating in Real ID – but that will take a bit of effort. Notably, you can’t get a Real ID-compliant New Hampshire license online; you have to take certain documents to a DMV office.
These documents must include a Social Security card, a certified birth certificate copy or an unexpired passport to prove identification, and an unexpired New Hampshire driver’s license or non-driver ID, utility bill or property tax bill to prove where you live.
A complete list of acceptable documents and additional information on Real ID can be found on the DMV website at www.nh.gov/safety/divisions/dmv/driver-licensing/real-id/index.htm.
Real ID was launched by Congress in 2005 as part of a series of changes made after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. In many states, including New Hampshire, it immediately became bogged down in debates over privacy.
A major facet of Real ID is that it requires states to permanently maintain a database of identifying information on people, notably Social Security numbers and photos, that can be accessed by federal authorities. Supporters say this is necessary to ensure accurate identification as part of security measures, while opponents describe it as a thinly veiled federal ID program that gives too much power to government and leaves people open to identity theft.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has long threatened to block people from flying or entering federal buildings if they don’t have a Real ID-compliant driver’s license or other identification card – but the department has also repeatedly delayed implementing such a ban.
The most recent of these delays happened one year ago, but it helped prod the New Hampshire Legislature into passing a law that allows optional participation.
The state’s announcement emphasized that most people don’t need to take immediate action, perhaps recalling the situation last year when an announcement about changes to the E-Z Pass automatic-tolling program caused floods of people to get in line to upgrade their transponders before it was necessary.
(David Brooks can be reached at 369-3313 or dbrooks@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @GraniteGeek.)
