Is Real ID Really Going to Happen?

The National Identification Law Was Supposed to Take Effect This Week

By Matthew Blake 05/12/2008 | 1 Comment

Yesterday, May 11, was when the Real ID Act, signed into law three years ago to the day, was due to kick in.

The law set national standards for all state driver's licenses and other forms of photo identification. It directs states to store people's drivers license information in a database, along with additional identity information, like a digital copy of each person's birth certificate. The law mandates that all state databases are to be linked. By now, every state should have built this database and issued Real ID-compliant licenses to all residents.