Real ID

What Real ID Means For You

Real National ID Card - The Real ID Act is a national identification card law passed in 2005 without debate, without funding and without consideration for any negative effects. A national ID card will enable the federal government to track and monitor the every day activities of all Americans.

Real Identity Theft Risk - Electronic copies of all information you provide to PennDOT to get a Real ID driver's license will be stored on the national database required by the act. That means your social security number, date of birth and any other personal information you showed will be scanned, saved and shared with all states. A single security breach at any of the thousands of DMV offices across the country could put you and hundreds of millions of Americans at risk for identity theft.

Real Expensive - The Department of Homeland Security estimates Real ID will cost $23 billion. That's nearly $100 per license! PennDOT says it will cost PA taxpayers at least $100 million to implement Real ID. Your individual costs could be even higher.

Real Red Tape - Real ID will result in slow service, long lines, bureaucratic snafus and the nightmare of inflexible verification requirements. Additionally, there is no procedure for you to obtain information from your Real ID file and no way for you to correct errors in your personal information.

Real Invasive - IDs must include a "common machine-readable zone" (MRZs) that will allow any government agency, or even the grocery store, to swipe your ID card and collect your personal data. Further, they will be allowed to collect and sell the data contained on this MRZ.

Real Pointless - REAL ID is supposed to stop terrorism, but knowing a terrorist identity deter fatal attack and none of the information required by Real ID can predict terrorism or criminal intent. Additionally, determined terrorists would easily be able to obtain fraudulent ID, either counterfeit or real documents bought from corrupt officials.

what your state legislators can do

Click here for more information on state legislation on Real ID