Feds: Real ID deadline stands until Minnesota acts
Minnesota has been denied an extension that would have given residents two extra years to get an upgraded driver's license before facing hassles at airports.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told Gov. Mark Dayton in a letter released Monday that it won't approve a waiver until the state passes a law to overhaul its licenses pursuant to federal security standards. State lawmakers are weighing legislation to do that as the session rolls into its final week.
The Senate has passed its version that would begin distribution of the new licenses in January 2018. House lawmakers will vote as soon as Tuesday on a bill starting the switch this October. A common plan would have to be negotiated before Dayton can sign off.
Earlier this year, the Legislature lifted a longstanding ban on planning for the licenses, which require applicants to provide more proof of identity and attest under penalty of perjury of that's who they are.
"We recognize this change as a positive step forward," two assistant Homeland Security officials wrote Dayton in a letter sent Friday. "However, while the enacted legislation allows the state to undertake planning, it does not change the prohibition in state law against 'taking any action to implement' Real ID or directly address the remaining unmet standards."
As it stands, a Real ID-compliant card or an approved alternative will be needed to clear airport security starting in 2018. Minnesota officials asked for delayed enforcement until 2020, a waiver other states have received.
Homeland Security officials say the extension could be granted if Minnesota passes a law describing how and when it will implement its conversion.
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