DHS Grants Extension To New York State For Real ID Compliance Act
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted New York state a one-year extension to meet the standards for the Real ID Act.
The DHS had said New York state driver's licenses are among those in four states that do not meet federal standards for the Real ID Act – set to go into effect in 2016. There had been concern that New Yorkers would need to get new IDs, or even carry passports for domestic travel, once the law took effect.
But under the extension, any New Yorker with a standard driver's license or non-driver ID will be able to get on a plane or enter a federal building without secondary identification during the extension period.
The DHS had said last month that it was committed to working with state officials to grant extensions for Real ID Act compliance, and said New Yorkers do not need to worry about their driver's licenses being inadequate for flying.
The Real ID Act requires states to issue more secure IDs in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.