Connecticut to offer Real ID compliant licenses, but drivers can opt out

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles will begin complying with the REAL ID Act by requiring drivers renewing licenses to present additional identity documents, starting this October.

Connecticut also is offering drivers a choice to avoid REAL ID, but that choice is predicted to have negative consequences — such not being able to use a driver's license as identification at U.S. airports -- starting in 2017 .

In recent years, Washington State, Vermont, Michigan and New York have issued REAL ID-compliant “enhanced drivers’ licenses,” which are special hybrid cards issued with Homeland Security Department approval that can be used as driver’s licenses and as official identification for crossing the borders. The enhanced licenses include Radio Frequency Identification tags that wirelessly communicate with readers at border crossings.

Under Connecticut’s SelectCT ID program, people who renewing driver's licenses will need to show additional documents such as passports and birth certificates to receive a driver’s license with verified identity. The REAL ID-compliant licenses will display a gold star, the agency announced in an April 26 news release.

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Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 as a counterterrorism measure. Under the law, states must comply with certain standards for drivers’ licenses, including standards for collecting and storing personal information from drivers and in sharing that information with agencies in other states. There also are physical standards for the card itself to limit tampering.

The Act has been controversial among governors and state legislatures because of its cost and its possible risks to privacy. As a result, several states have rejected the law and deadlines for compliance have been pushed back to 2013. Licenses that are not compliant with REAL ID by 2017 cannot be used as official identification at federal facilities, including airports.

The Connecticut program begins Oct. 3 and will be phased in during the next six years as all licenses come up for renewal.

The identity documents required for verification vary by individual status. For example, a U.S. citizen may show a birth certificate and U.S. passport, while a legal immigrant married to a U.S. citizen would have to show immigration and marriage documents.

Several other states are taking steps toward REAL ID compliance. New Jersey in January announced its new driver’s license with 25 security and anti-fraud features.

New Jersey officials said they would begin complying with the identity verification standards of Real ID in late 2012 following an overhaul of computer systems.