5 ms·

Real ID was originally supposed to take in effect in 2008, so it's been delayed 17 years at this point, which is absurd. It was created 20 years before it would

Real ID was originally supposed to take in effect in 2008, so it's been delayed 17 years at this point, which is absurd. It was created 20 years before it would take effect. Why is it still being pursued?

Arrath 4y ago
I feel like the "It is 2386, the government sends its annual delegation to Brussels to ask for a Brexit Extension. The people know not why, only that it is sacred tradition." meme applies here. The delay in implementation is ridiculous, bordering parody if we didn't know it was real life.
- noodlesUK 4y ago
  I wish this were the case with brexit.
rtkwe 4y ago
DHS still wants to have more secure and validated IDs but states aren't issuing them as default so a lot of people take the easier licensing/ID option when they renew. My state, NC, doesn't issue them as default or even really push them at all. So the problem at the federal level is you have states and people not getting the IDs so making the transition to requiring REAL ID for flights etc would be potentially very disruptive.
- mynameisvlad 4y ago
  I mean, I get that DHS still wants it, but... Why? It might have made sense in 2005 with the post-2001 political climate, but it's 20 years later. We've been fine with the current IDs for so long, and the climate is not anywhere near the same now as it was then with relation to security theater.
  - rtkwe 4y ago
    Well at this point AFAIK it's a legal requirement that they do it. To fully cancel it would require action by congress to remove the program all together, I'm willing to bet (but not willing to find the language) that DHS can extend implementation but not cancel it.
    - rolph 4y ago
      apparently the only way to cancel it is to refuse to use it, en masse, its the low adoption rate by end user that keeps the deadline being kicked down the road
  - yownie 4y ago
    control
    - spoils19 4y ago
      This is why I'm glad that we have the 2nd Amendment.
      - amanaplanacanal 4y ago
        I’m trying to imagine how this applies. Are you going to shoot anybody who asks you for Real ID?
        Integrape 4y ago
        Keep it simple and just hijack the airplane.
        spoils19 4y ago
        While I wouldn't go that far, I definitely support Americans who wish to utilize their unique free speech and freedom for this cause. Example: https://i.imgur.com/C12Cw06.jpg https://i.imgur.com/C12Cw06.jpg (Ignore the reply tweet, it's an obvious Russian troll)
- elashri 4y ago
  Not only this, Things are very confusing for people. During checking at my last flight I asked the officer about if Ohio ID would be sufficient for the real ID requirement. She couldn't answer because she didn't know how they issue it these days. If this a TSA officer, what about ordinary people?
  - ianferrel 4y ago
    I think this is one of those cases where you didn't ask the right question. The TSA officer of course doesn't know the ID issue policies of 50+ ID-issuing regions. If you had asked "How do I know if my ID meets the Real ID requirements", the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID".
    - elashri 4y ago
      >I think this is one of those cases where you didn't ask the right question. The TSA officer of course doesn't know the ID issue policies of 50+ ID-issuing regions. I thought that because it was a (main) Ohio airport, this will be an appropriate question but probably you are right. >If you had asked "How do I know if my ID meets the Real ID requirements", the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID". I was asking this question so that I can decide if it is worth getting one because I don't want to keep using my passport on domestic flights (risking it getting lost, and heache to have a replacement outside my home country).
    - mynameisvlad 4y ago
      > the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID". Or an American Flag somewhere on the ID (mine is randomly next to my photo), for the few states that only issue Real ID-compatible IDs in the form of EDL/EIDs. Looking at you, Washington. And the star can be: > gold or black star, a white star in a gold or black circle, a white star in a gold bear in the case of California, or a white star in a gold state map in the case of Maine. It's so absurdly complicated. As someone else said it'd be fantastic parody if it weren't real life.
      - 4y ago
- mistrial9 4y ago
  California has had problems with large scale ID counterfeiting, which they really, really do not want to talk about Second item is an analogy.. when cash for transit here was changing to an electronic ID, the BART transit agency found excuse after excuse to delay.. later, a finance officer said in a public forum "we have a cash flow and we control that" .. much later, things changed somewhat. I believe that Federal vs State govt is simply at odds over the endless self-employment of administering these ID programs, and who calls the shots... and they should be ! Fed growth is virtually a one-way ratchet in practice.
- sylens 4y ago
  This is it. States need to rip the band-aid off (or be forced to) so that people will be forced to get a Real ID at their next license renewal. Only then will this deadline pass without being extended
  - Ancalagon 4y ago
    Great for some but you know arizona doesnt require I renew my license until the 2050's
    - lost_tourist 4y ago
      It's basically useless because anyone could have gotten a passport at any time during the time the realID nonsense was going on
  - Rimintil 4y ago
    This isn’t as good of an idea as you may think. It is in the best interest of everyone to allow illegal aliens to be licensed and insured. Washington state also charges a premium for Real ID. For those who don’t fly or cross from Canada to the US, Real ID is just a waste of money. EDL in WA will be $115 for 5 years starting in 2024. A US Passport Book is $130 for 10 years (or a US Passport Card is $30 and good for domestic air travel and land/ground to CA and MX). Why would I bother with Real ID? I can’t even renew Real ID online or get it immediately after having my photo taken. While quicker than a Passport, it takes 2-3 weeks.
- landemva 4y ago
  > REAL ID for flights I have flown twice in the past few years without ID when I misplaced my wallet. TSA made me sign a form which basically said nothing useful. Children fly without ID. It's about control not about flight safety.
  - saurik 4y ago
    The comment you are replying to didn't say anything about safety, merely disruption, and I'd wager having a ridiculously large number of people going through extra checks and having to sign forms would be super disruptive ;P.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
helpfulclippy 4y ago
Because the feds are very patient about these things. They knew that with consistent pressure, the holdout states would trickle on board, which is exactly what has happened. A couple states like Oregon held out until just the past few years, but now even they will give you a REAL ID.
- lost_tourist 4y ago
  Texas held out for a really long time too
riffic 4y ago
terrists. which these days are likely to be citizens. See this weekend's domestic terrorism event involving power substances being shot at in North Carolina: https://www.wsj.com/articles/attack-on-north-carolina-power-substations-leaves-45-000-without-electricity-11670200585 https://www.wsj.com/articles/attack-on-north-carolina-power-...
- lost_tourist 4y ago
  true, our next 9/11 will much more likely be of the Oklahoma City bombing variety rather than foreign terrorists.
somrand0 4y ago
because as the world becomes a more chaotic and unstable place, the price of freedom (which is risk) also increases. I think that maybe "real ID" has been delayed because USA truly has been the most free country on earth (at the cost of poorer places not near the USA). And this kind of policy diminishes people's freedom. However given the current climate scenario, as well as the current geopolitical looming war. So that's why it's being pursued, because more chaos, less stability in the system, raises the cost of freedom, and the system has to know whose insurance premiums to raise. You gotta track and measure the people to do this (i.e. to control them).
- ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
  > USA truly has been the most free country on earth LOL.
  - dang 4y ago
    Hey, could you please stop posting flamebait and/or unsubstantive comments (like this and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33819981 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33819981)? It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.

Arrath 4y ago

I feel like the "It is 2386, the government sends its annual delegation to Brussels to ask for a Brexit Extension. The people know not why, only that it is sacred tradition." meme applies here. The delay in implementation is ridiculous, bordering parody if we didn't know it was real life.

noodlesUK 4y ago
I wish this were the case with brexit.

rtkwe 4y ago

DHS still wants to have more secure and validated IDs but states aren't issuing them as default so a lot of people take the easier licensing/ID option when they renew. My state, NC, doesn't issue them as default or even really push them at all. So the problem at the federal level is you have states and people not getting the IDs so making the transition to requiring REAL ID for flights etc would be potentially very disruptive.

mynameisvlad 4y ago
I mean, I get that DHS still wants it, but... Why? It might have made sense in 2005 with the post-2001 political climate, but it's 20 years later. We've been fine with the current IDs for so long, and the climate is not anywhere near the same now as it was then with relation to security theater.
- rtkwe 4y ago
  Well at this point AFAIK it's a legal requirement that they do it. To fully cancel it would require action by congress to remove the program all together, I'm willing to bet (but not willing to find the language) that DHS can extend implementation but not cancel it.
  - rolph 4y ago
    apparently the only way to cancel it is to refuse to use it, en masse, its the low adoption rate by end user that keeps the deadline being kicked down the road
- yownie 4y ago
  control
  - spoils19 4y ago
    This is why I'm glad that we have the 2nd Amendment.
    - amanaplanacanal 4y ago
      I’m trying to imagine how this applies. Are you going to shoot anybody who asks you for Real ID?
      - Integrape 4y ago
        Keep it simple and just hijack the airplane.
        spoils19 4y ago
        While I wouldn't go that far, I definitely support Americans who wish to utilize their unique free speech and freedom for this cause. Example: https://i.imgur.com/C12Cw06.jpg https://i.imgur.com/C12Cw06.jpg (Ignore the reply tweet, it's an obvious Russian troll)
elashri 4y ago
Not only this, Things are very confusing for people. During checking at my last flight I asked the officer about if Ohio ID would be sufficient for the real ID requirement. She couldn't answer because she didn't know how they issue it these days. If this a TSA officer, what about ordinary people?
- ianferrel 4y ago
  I think this is one of those cases where you didn't ask the right question. The TSA officer of course doesn't know the ID issue policies of 50+ ID-issuing regions. If you had asked "How do I know if my ID meets the Real ID requirements", the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID".
  - elashri 4y ago
    >I think this is one of those cases where you didn't ask the right question. The TSA officer of course doesn't know the ID issue policies of 50+ ID-issuing regions. I thought that because it was a (main) Ohio airport, this will be an appropriate question but probably you are right. >If you had asked "How do I know if my ID meets the Real ID requirements", the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID". I was asking this question so that I can decide if it is worth getting one because I don't want to keep using my passport on domestic flights (risking it getting lost, and heache to have a replacement outside my home country).
  - mynameisvlad 4y ago
    > the answer is very simple: "It has an image of a star on the top of the ID". Or an American Flag somewhere on the ID (mine is randomly next to my photo), for the few states that only issue Real ID-compatible IDs in the form of EDL/EIDs. Looking at you, Washington. And the star can be: > gold or black star, a white star in a gold or black circle, a white star in a gold bear in the case of California, or a white star in a gold state map in the case of Maine. It's so absurdly complicated. As someone else said it'd be fantastic parody if it weren't real life.
    - 4y ago
mistrial9 4y ago
California has had problems with large scale ID counterfeiting, which they really, really do not want to talk about Second item is an analogy.. when cash for transit here was changing to an electronic ID, the BART transit agency found excuse after excuse to delay.. later, a finance officer said in a public forum "we have a cash flow and we control that" .. much later, things changed somewhat. I believe that Federal vs State govt is simply at odds over the endless self-employment of administering these ID programs, and who calls the shots... and they should be ! Fed growth is virtually a one-way ratchet in practice.
sylens 4y ago
This is it. States need to rip the band-aid off (or be forced to) so that people will be forced to get a Real ID at their next license renewal. Only then will this deadline pass without being extended
- Ancalagon 4y ago
  Great for some but you know arizona doesnt require I renew my license until the 2050's
  - lost_tourist 4y ago
    It's basically useless because anyone could have gotten a passport at any time during the time the realID nonsense was going on
- Rimintil 4y ago
  This isn’t as good of an idea as you may think. It is in the best interest of everyone to allow illegal aliens to be licensed and insured. Washington state also charges a premium for Real ID. For those who don’t fly or cross from Canada to the US, Real ID is just a waste of money. EDL in WA will be $115 for 5 years starting in 2024. A US Passport Book is $130 for 10 years (or a US Passport Card is $30 and good for domestic air travel and land/ground to CA and MX). Why would I bother with Real ID? I can’t even renew Real ID online or get it immediately after having my photo taken. While quicker than a Passport, it takes 2-3 weeks.
landemva 4y ago
> REAL ID for flights I have flown twice in the past few years without ID when I misplaced my wallet. TSA made me sign a form which basically said nothing useful. Children fly without ID. It's about control not about flight safety.
- saurik 4y ago
  The comment you are replying to didn't say anything about safety, merely disruption, and I'd wager having a ridiculously large number of people going through extra checks and having to sign forms would be super disruptive ;P.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

helpfulclippy 4y ago

Because the feds are very patient about these things. They knew that with consistent pressure, the holdout states would trickle on board, which is exactly what has happened. A couple states like Oregon held out until just the past few years, but now even they will give you a REAL ID.

lost_tourist 4y ago
Texas held out for a really long time too

riffic 4y ago

terrists. which these days are likely to be citizens. See this weekend's domestic terrorism event involving power substances being shot at in North Carolina: https://www.wsj.com/articles/attack-on-north-carolina-power-substations-leaves-45-000-without-electricity-11670200585 https://www.wsj.com/articles/attack-on-north-carolina-power-...

lost_tourist 4y ago
true, our next 9/11 will much more likely be of the Oklahoma City bombing variety rather than foreign terrorists.

somrand0 4y ago

because as the world becomes a more chaotic and unstable place, the price of freedom (which is risk) also increases. I think that maybe "real ID" has been delayed because USA truly has been the most free country on earth (at the cost of poorer places not near the USA). And this kind of policy diminishes people's freedom. However given the current climate scenario, as well as the current geopolitical looming war. So that's why it's being pursued, because more chaos, less stability in the system, raises the cost of freedom, and the system has to know whose insurance premiums to raise. You gotta track and measure the people to do this (i.e. to control them).

ThePowerOfFuet 4y ago
> USA truly has been the most free country on earth LOL.
- dang 4y ago
  Hey, could you please stop posting flamebait and/or unsubstantive comments (like this and https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33819981 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33819981)? It's not what this site is for, and destroys what it is for. If you wouldn't mind reviewing https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and taking the intended spirit of the site more to heart, we'd be grateful.