Illinois Driver's Licenses And ID Cards Might Not Be Good Enough To Fly Next Year
CHICAGO (CBS) -- By the end of the year, Illinois residents might need more than their driver's license or state identification card to get aboard a commercial airliner.
Illinois has been dragging its feet on federal security rules for state-issued driver's licenses and ID cards. The 2005 REAL ID Act requires state officials to verify birth certificates through the Electronic Verification of Vital Events system in order to meet federal security and anti-terrorism guidelines.
The Department of Homeland Security has given Illinois two extensions, but the latest is set to expire in October. Without another extension, an Illinois driver's license or identification card no longer would be sufficient for commercial air travel, starting in 2016.
Illinois Secretary of State's office spokesman Dave Druker said it's not a simple matter to meet the federal guidelines.
"We need the General Assembly to pass the law. It's not something we can arbitrarily implement," he said. "We need, A, the funding; and, B, the approval of the state of Illinois to be able to do this."
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Complying with the REAL ID Act would cost the Secretary of State's office $15 million over four years, money the office does not have, according to Druker.
"People will still be able to get on airplanes. They may have to go through an extra measure of security in doing so, and somebody with a passport would get on right away, too," Druker said.
Without a driver's license or ID card that meets REAL ID guidelines, travelers would need a U.S. passport, a Permanent Residency Card, a Homeland Security "trusted traveler" card, a U.S. military ID, a border crossing card, a Native American tribal photo ID, a Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 card, a TSA-approved ID card issued by an airline or airport, a passport issued by a foreign government, a Canadian provincial driver's license or Indian and Northern Affairs Canada card, or a Transportation Worker ID credential.
