Larrude

Which also may explain why Michigan, Minnesota, Vermont and Washington state, which all have fairly large borders with our northern neighbor Canada, do offer the enhanced licenses

garykung

Because this is typical for CA DMV.

Although sounds unrelated, Real ID is not something new. But it takes CA more than a decade to get the ball rolling, including 1 design change a few years ago before Real ID.

FWIW - there is a reason why CA DMV goes technology advance.

Why? The EDL/EID do have the word "enhanced" and have a distinguished design from the typical DLs. It is not a star. But it should work like the star.

Also - TSA makes it really clear that EDL/EID is not your typical ID as it is listed separately as an acceptable ID.

cafeconleche

If I'm traveling far ANYWHERE the US, whether or not it be close to the border, I take my passport too. It just feels right.

Ari

Would it feel even "righter" if you were asked to produce it regularly while traveling between states. Then one day you will be required to carry it. It will feel even "righter" to you.

Do us all a favor: keep your passport at home and keep us from sliding down a slippery slope; we don't all want to carry out papers just because of what people think is "right". If enough people start doing it, soon it will become "why don't you have your passport on you?" instead of "why are you carrying your passport" and then we are all in trouble.

Larrude

But you are located in FRA? Are you a US citizen?

GUWonder

The person may be a US citizen, and US citizens aren’t all located just in the US. FRA serves a lot of US citizens who are based within reasonable driving distance of it.

Wherever I travel or am otherwise out of my homes, I often have a passport; and I need it also because I may have sudden obligations requiring international travel of sort that would make it inconvenient to not have a passport with me. I have a passport with me more often than I have a DL with me. My default ID when dealing with TSA TDC is my GE card or US passport card, because losing them or having them get damaged is less problematic in ways than having the same happen to my passports or DL.

Larrude

I understand that not all US citizens are located in the US. But if he is not a US citizen, I can see him carrying his passport all the time while in the states, but if he is a citizen, I'm not sure why he would always carry his passport. Why would it just "feel right." I never carry my passport with me in the US unless I have plans to be traveling outside of our borders

cafeconleche

I understand why you reacted that way to my post, Ari, but let me explain. I agree that we ought not to be required to carry ID within the US. I don't do it for that reason. Why it feels right is because, for some reason, if I suddenly need to leave the country, I could. Now, that is not at all a likely scenario, so why it feels right to me, I am not sure. Of course, when I travel to parts of the country close to a land border, the reason for carrying a passport (card at least) are obvious - to enable one to leave and re-enter easily.

I am indeed a US citizen. However, to back up my argument that I am not a fan of carrying a passport with me at all times, I never carry it in Germany, where most carry their official ID card (or rarely, a passport when they don't have an ID card for whatever reason). I did start carrying my passport card because, were I to forget my work ID, I could only get a temporary replacement with official ID like my passport card. The alternative would be to go all the way back home and get it.