Oregon state lawmakers have approved a plan to produce TSA-compliant driver’s licenses so that state travelers may not be required to show a passport in order to board a plane.
The tougher ID regulations stem from the federal Real ID Act of 2005, which was passed by Congress after the 9/11 attacks in order to enforce a stronger travel vetting system.
Oregon is overdue to create driver’s licenses that comply with the Real ID Act, which has made residents subject to not being allowed to use their state driver’s license or state ID to enter federal facilities or board commercial flights in the past.
However, the federal government has granted Oregon with a series of extensions for the state to comply with the new set of ID laws. State officials have said that Oregon residents will likely not be banned from boarding flights until after the new set of IDs become available.
The Senate Bill 374, which was signed into law by Governor Kate Brown last week, will allow Oregon residents to pay extra for an upgraded ID card that meets the Department of Homeland Security’s requirements. Once the new IDs are introduced legally, the regular Oregon driver’s licenses will no longer grant access at federal checkpoints.
DMV officials have confirmed that Oregon will continue to receive extensions from the federal government, as long as they continue working toward complete Real ID implementation that meets federal standards.
“They don’t want to put a state in a position where millions of people will want to get an ID on the same day,” DMV spokesman David House said.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has said it will stop accepting IDs from residents of non-compliant states at airport security checkpoints starting October 2020.
Along with new IDs, Oregon will implement a new computer system that will serve to reduce the DMV’s reliance on paper forms and outdated digital records.
A total of 25 states and the District of Columbia are already in compliance with the Real ID Act. Missouri and Minnesota have not complied with the federal regulations and have thus lost access to any more extensions.
According to the language stated on the new Oregon ID bill, the cardholders will be responsible for paying a fee in order to receive a Real ID-compliant card. Drivers will still have the option to obtain a driver’s license or state ID that does not comply with the federal act, but they will be required to provide an additional form of identification in order to board a flight. Acceptable alternative proofs of identification may include citizenship or legal residency documents.
The new Oregon ID is expected to become available to all residents around July 2020.