eajusa

Agreed. You make very good points about identity security.

cbn42

I don't think Congress has ever extended the REAL ID deadline. All extensions have been implemented by DHS through the administrative procedure.

It is intended to enforce the no-fly list. Whether that is necessary is debatable, but that is the reason.

I would think that most states already have all of those things on their licenses, whether REAL ID compliant or not. I'm pretty sure California has had them for a long time.

Boggie Dog

How does an ID help enforce the NFL? What database does TSA consult when a person presents their ID?

petaluma1

None - which like throwing all confiscated LGAs into one container, failure to inspect sanitary products worn by passengers - just shows that it's all a show to make the gullible feel safe.

WillCAD

I've only ever held a Maryland driver's license, and MD has been RealID compliant for quite some time (except that they don't run an immigration check), so I'm only familiar with the MD license. I dislike any standard that puts PII onto a single, easily-stolen card, whether federally-mandated or state-implemented.

Brighton Line

Problem I had with Passport Card and a gate pass was the airline, AA, did not have the option for Passport Card to enter in their system when issuing a gate pass to me.

I asked if she could just enter it as a Passport, but that fell on deaf ears.

jkhuggins

As I think you're aware ... the NFL database consultation occurs at the point of issuance of the boarding pass, not at the point of presenting ID.

Ways of circumventing the NFL based on TSA's current procedures are well-known, of course, and left as an exercise to the reader.

Boggie Dog

I do know this. I was attempting to highlight the uselessness of TSA's ID protocols. Time wasted, screeners distracted, and travelers delayed all over a bit of Security Theater.

Would seem more reasonable to have some actual security benefit in mind before enacting a security procedure.

Edit to add:

Actually I think the NFL is consulted when a ticket is purchased. Yes an ID is shown to the airline but only if checking baggage on the day of your flight. An On Line Boarding Pass can be printed by the passenger when they check in for the flight either from home or at the airport with no requirement to present an ID to the airline.

WillCAD

Well, the *theory* (and we all know it doesn't work this way) is that a name is checked against the various blacklists at the time of booking, and the name on the ID is checked against the BP to insure that only the person whose name is on the BP (the name that was checked against the lists) is the one who goes through security.

Of course, we all know this process is laughably easy to circumvent. But this is the theory, anyway.

Originally, the ID check was instituted solely to limit the number of people screened by allowing only those with valid BPs could go airside. But then that whole "ID matters" crap came about, and the entire country seems to think that no terrorist could ever possibly have a valid ID, and that every TDC has memorized a list of every terrorist in the world, and that there are no terrorists or potential terrorists anywhere in the world whose names are not on that list.

FliesWay2Much

At the risk of sending this into Bad OMNI, I'll just state that I wonder what the new administration will do about this example of "Big Government"? One might think that they will decide that forcing states to comply is out of bounds. On the other hand, it was a previous administration of the same party that came up with all of this garbage in the first place.

Boggie Dog

Real ID Act of 2005 is a bill created and passed by Congress and signed into law by the President. Unless a new law is passed overturning the current law it doesn't really matter what the new administration thinks.

FliesWay2Much

I would think two things could happen:

1. Repeal the law. I suspect there will be a lot of that going around in the next year or so;

2. Change the implementing CFR.

The law states in general terms:

A better way to approach this would be to revise the implementing CFR. It would take a unified effort by well-placed DHS political appointees and the desire of Trump to reduce the overreach of the federal government in a small but visible way. or, DHS could just issue an "indefinite suspension" of the compliance date.

TWA884

Reminder!

spd476

I figure there will be another extension but it will be interesting to see if it will be enforced in states that are working towards complying. I had to renew my Illinois license this year. The state sent a pamphlet explaining all of the changes to the process, all of the new security features, and that people won't get their license that day. They have to wait for it to be mailed from a secure central issuing facility.

Even after Illinois made the changes, the ID's still aren't fully compliant. The reasons are that under Real ID, someone can't have a driver's license and state ID card at the same time and the ID's can't last more than 10 years. Seniors are able to get free state ID cards that don't expire. I can't imagine the TSA will deny millions the ability to fly in a couple of years over a couple of minor points but nothing would surprise me with them.

dhuey

I saw the REAL ID notice at LAX a couple of weeks ago. I mistakenly thought it would kick in starting Jan. 2017. I see now that it's Jan. 2018. I was wondering why there wasn't more discussion about this.

As a practical matter, could TSA really follow through with this and still keep airports in the affected states functioning?