Department of Defense installations will no longer accept
driver’s licenses from Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico and Washington
as proof of identity, DOD officials said.
The ban, which also includes licenses from American Samoa,
is a consequence of the REAL ID Act of 2005.
The REAL ID Act grew out of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks –
most of the terrorists involved had driver’s licenses from Florida and
Virginia.
Congress tightened up issuance processes and documentation
needed to get a driver’s license. Compliant cards must have specific security
features to prevent tampering, counterfeiting or duplication of the document.
The licenses also must present data in a common, machine-readable format.
The REAL ID Act affects only access control policies where
individuals are required to present an identification document for accessing
federal facilities, entering nuclear power plants or boarding federally
regulated commercial aircraft.
The federal REAL ID Act implementation rules allow for
exceptions, officials noted. For example, they explained, life or safety issues
such as medical emergencies, and situations in which physical access is
necessary to apply for benefits are two exceptions.
Those attempting to gain physical access to DOD
installations must show an alternate form of identification, such as a passport,
officials said. Service members, family members, DOD employees, and federal
employees with the DOD common access card, DOD uniformed services
identification and privileges cards, federal personal identification
verification cards or transportation workers’ identification credentials are
not affected, officials said, as these cards are authorized in DOD policy to
facilitate physical access to installations.
“All federal agencies including DOD, must comply with the
law regarding the use of REAL IDs for official purposes,” an official said.
“For most DOD installations, an identification card or an installation pass is
required to facilitate access. Hence, where an ID or an installation pass is
used for physical access, DOD installations are prohibited from accepting
driver’s licenses or state identification cards from states deemed non-REAL ID
compliant.
“DOD policy allows commanders to waive the DOD access
control requirements for special situations, circumstances, or emergencies,”
the official said. “Therefore, installations may authorize other alternatives
to facilitate installation access, such as a graduation ceremony guest list,
escorts, etc.”