Missouri appears most entrenched holdout on Real ID mandates

Some Missouri lawmakers are so concerned about stricter driver’s license requirements mandated by the federal government that they’re determined to defy the standards, risking new hassles next year for residents trying to fly or enter military installations.

Of the handful of states that haven’t fully enacted key provisions of the 2005 Real ID Act, Missouri appears to be the most entrenched holdout as it doesn’t even offer residents an enhanced ID to circumvent some of the potential penalties for noncompliance. Besides the new license standards, the federal law — approved in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks — requires states to keep a database with original source documents such as copies of birth certificates and license photos.

Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, signed a measure in 2009 that prohibits the state from complying with the federal law, citing privacy concerns. He later changed his position and encouraged lawmakers to pass a compliance measure. But this year’s proposal hasn’t reached a vote on the Senate floor even after the GOP-led House passed it in March.

Starting Jan. 22, Missouri residents would not be able to use their state-issued licenses to board an airplane. They’re already barred from entering federal facilities, including military bases. Some places, including Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri, allow people to use a noncompliant ID with extra identification such as a birth certificate or Social Security card.

 

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