The Democrat-majority NH Legislature passed (House 268-8 Senate 24-0*), and Governor Lynch signed a bill blocking REAL ID in New Hampshire circa 2007. Now, the Feds say REAL ID Rules mean a NH Drivers License is no longer an acceptable form of ID to board a domestic flight. But that was part of the plan with Real ID. This is merely the last phase. So where do we stand?
Early this year an effort was made to address the deadline but a bi-partisan committee in the NH Senate killed a bill to address the requirements.
The Statehouse has long been unfriendly territory for REAL ID, a set of federal standards for state driver’s licenses. Skeptics said it would create the equivalent of a national identification card, and legislators have been firmly against it.
“Without this legislation, New Hampshire residents would be required to obtain a federal passport in order to enter secure facilities or to travel,” Hassan said.
“I don’t see that happening,” said Kevin Bloom of the New Hampshire Liberty Alliance.
The official description of the policy phase-in for 2016 is as follows,
Boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft A driver’s license or identification card from a noncompliant state may only be used in conjunction with a second form of ID for boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft.
Travel & Leisure explains it like this.
The standard licenses from New York, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and American Samoa are considered “noncompliant” with the security standards outlined in the Real ID Act, which was enacted back in 2005 but is being implemented in stages.
Why are these specific licenses deemed sub-par? Security officials aren’t telling. The spokesperson at the Department of Homeland Security declined to comment, as did the spokesperson at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
You will need a passport, military ID, permanent resident card, DHS Trusted Traveler card, or Enhanced drivers license, if you want to fly. New Hampshire does not issue enhanced drivers licenses. They include an embedded RFID tag so we’d have to change a few laws before those would even have a shot at being available, if you wanted to be “tagged.”
As noted above, non-compliant license holders need a second form of ID to go along with their license to board a flight. DHS is supposed to provide reasonable notice for alternative forms of ID, or second forms of ID, so that residents of states with non-compliant licenses have time to get acceptable ID.
Any acceptable primary form of ID would not require a drivers license so I am curious; what are the other forms of ID?
DHS has not announced a deadline for the new policy. Non-complaint license holders have three months until after that deadline to get approved identification or they will not be able to fly.
We can be certain that legislative remedies (acts of compliance) will make the rounds in New Hampshire come January, but I agree with Kevin Bloom. As for passing something, in this legislature, in this state, “I don’t see that happening.”
*Still looking for confirmation of these vote totals in the NH House and Senate (House 268-8 Senate 24-0*).
H/T Michelle Levell
