DHS Sweats Out National ID Town Hall Meeting

Ryan Singel 05.02.07 | 2:00 AM

DAVIS, California -- Department of Homeland Security officials got an earful Tuesday during a webcast town-hall-style meeting on the controversial Real ID initiative -- a federal government plan to standardize state-issued ID cards and link identification databases nationwide.

States and civil liberties groups have been bristling at the requirements of the Real ID Act, which would require states, starting in 2008, to revalidate citizens' birth certificates, store copies of the documents, and interconnect their databases to prevent duplicate licenses. Current holders of driver's licenses would have to return to their state motor vehicle departments with certified source documents to re-up their licenses as part of the proposed upgrade, which DHS estimates will cost states and citizens $20 billion.