Feds will no longer accept Missouri driver’s licenses - KMOV.com
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KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -
Starting next month, Missouri driver’s licenses will no longer be an acceptable form of identification to the federal government, and the consequences could be enormous for the state’s residents.
Missouri residents will no longer be able to use their driver’s licenses to enter federal facilities and may not be able to use them to board commercial flights.
It’s because Missouri is not in compliance with a federal law, known as the
REAL ID Act, which requires states to adopt tougher security standards when issuing state identification cards.
For instance, states must require applicants to provide proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, proof of residency, and social security number before issuing an ID card.
States are also required to maintain a driver’s license database, that is accessible to officials in other states. The database must include all information printed on each driver’s license or ID card, including photographs.
The law, created in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, was passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2005.
While proponents believe it enhances security, opponents believe the law represents a federal overreach.
Lawmakers in some states, including Missouri, have refused to comply with it.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for enforcing the law, issued exemptions to those states, to give them more time to implement it.
Several years later, federal authorities appear to be running out of patience.
The federal government recently denied a request to give Illinois and Minnesota more time to comply when their exemptions expire.