Real ID update.

• Author: Ramsdell, Molly
• Position: TRENDS & TRANSITIONS - Brief article

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will soon announce the timeline for full enforcement of the REAL ID Act. The timeline is expected to delineate four to six stages of a gradual phase-in of enforcement. Full enforcement--when an ID not in compliance will be rejected for all federal purposes under the act--will not be reached for two to three years.

Currently, 20 to 21 states are in full compliance, but DHS is expected to grant a dozen more states an automatic extension if they have met most of the requirements. Other states still may apply for one; however, all extensions will expire on a set date, likely one year or less from the start of the enforcement process.

The 2005 federal act requires states to issue driver's licenses and ID cards that meet certain standards in order for them to qualify as acceptable identification for certain federal purposes such as boarding commercial...