Real ID deadline pushed back to January 2013

The Homeland Security Department has pushed back the final deadline for states to comply with the the controversial Real ID Act national identity management standards to Jan. 15, 2013.

DHS published a notice of the new deadline in the Federal Register on March 7. Under the previous rule, the final deadline was this May 11.

Congress passed the Real ID law in 2005 as an anti-terrorism measure, but it has gotten significant opposition. Compliance by states has been delayed several times.

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Under the law, states must comply with certain standards for drivers’ licenses, including standards for collecting and storing personal information from drivers, and sharing that information electronically with other states. More than 20 states have passed legislation or nonbinding resolutions to oppose or reject Real ID.

In January 2008, DHS promulgated a final rule for implementing the law and extended the compliance data from May 2008 to this May.

In 2009, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano supported national legislation that would have loosened some of the requirements of Real ID.