SAINT PAUL, MN – The Minnesota House passed House File 3, the bill to make Minnesota REAL ID compliant, on a bipartisan vote 72-58. Without action on REAL ID this session, Minnesota driver’s licenses will no longer be acceptable for boarding planes as soon as January of 2018.
“Making REAL ID a simple opt-in program for those who wish to use their driver’s license to board airplanes and enter federal facilities including military bases, while retaining an option to obtain an ID under the current system for those who chose to do so, makes this bill a compromise that will work for everyone,” said Rep. Dennis Smith, R-Maple Grove, the bill’s chief author. “Whether it’s visiting a child at a military base or taking their family on vacation, Minnesotans deserve the peace-of-mind that with their normal driver’s licenses they are fully capable of going about their lives and work.”
REAL ID is a federal law passed in 2005 with the goal to make it more difficult for potential terrorists to obtain fake identification cards by setting standards that states must meet for their driver’s licenses. Some federal facilities, including military bases, have already began to require those without compliant licenses to provide passports or other documentation in order to be admitted.
“Passing REAL ID today is the culmination of two sessions worth of work to ensure Minnesotan’s have the opportunity to retain a fully functioning driver’s license,” said Rep. Smith. “This is a win for everyday Minnesotans.”
The Senate version of the bill, SF 166, is making its way through the committee process.
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