Real ID may not equate to national card

Nanette Rolfe, director of the Utah Driver License Division, has started poring over 168 pages of proposed rules for issuing drivers' licenses under the federal Real ID Act.

And on Monday she said it appears that the act won't mean a national ID — a concern for some state lawmakers this year.

"My understanding is, they are allowing each state to still create its own documents," she said. "But they still must meet certain requirements."

The rules, which are designed to establish more secure driver's licenses, are going through a 60-day comment period, and the final version should be implemented by May 2008. However, states will have an option to apply for an 18-month extension, which is something Utah may need given the rules were just released and there's only one legislative session remaining to come up with a way to pay for enforcement before the original deadline, Rolfe said.

"The year and a half is nice," she said.

However, she noted, there won't be an extension for members of the general public, who will still need to have an identification card that complies with Real ID by May 2013 in order to travel on domestic flights or enter federal facilities.

During the 2007 legislative session, a House resolution calling on Congress to repeal the Real ID Act received unanimous support. Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, sponsored the resolution, citing concerns over costs to the state and the potential for a national identification card.

Rolfe said she's not sure how the rules will impact initial estimates that implementation could cost the state $2.5 million in start up costs and another $2.5 million annually.

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com

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