Homeland Security wants to automate the REAL ID process

The Department of Homeland Security wants to automate parts of the application process for federally compliant state IDs, according to a request for comment published Oct. 7 in the Federal Record.

On Oct. 1, 2020, Americans with state IDs that don’t comply with the federal government’s REAL ID standards will not be able to get past security checkpoints at the airport.

With less than one year before the deadline, DHS wants to know what technologies could help streamline the process through which states and residents get these IDs.

DHS is “interested in concepts that reduce application burden, processing time, and administrative workload, and that effectively ensure security, protect privacy, and manage risk of fraud,” the request for comment reads. “We are also interested in concepts that identify the extent to which the additional capabilities or technologies will increase the adoption rate of individuals obtaining REAL ID-compliant identification.”

DHS also wants information of cost of purchase or implementation.

Across the United States, 47 states are compliant with the REAL ID requirements. Oregon and Oklahoma have received an extension, while New Jersey’s ID is under review.

DHS is asking for comments that included information on how suggested solutions will increase the adoption rate of the REAL IDs, how the tech would be integrated into state systems, as well as the cybersecurity standards the technology needs to meet.

The requirement for compliant IDs stems from the 2005 REAL ID Act, which enacted a recommendation made in the 9/11 Commission report that said the federal government should “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification.”

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