REAL ID sees full compliance, but in the past, several states objected

REAL ID compliance has been a topic of contention since its inception in 2005. While all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories are currently in compliance ahead of the federal deadline of May 7, the road to universal acceptance was not without its bumps.

Several state leaders, including then-Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer, expressed objections to the nationwide standard as soon as two years after its passage. Schweitzer, a Democrat, referred to REAL ID as a “harebrained scheme” in a 2008 NPR interview, criticizing the federal government for imposing unfunded mandates on states.

In response to the law, Schweitzer signed a law banning Montana’s DMV from enforcing REAL ID stipulations, citing privacy concerns. Washington state Governor Christine Gregoire also signed similar legislation, demanding federal funding to cover the unfunded mandate and expressing worries about citizen privacy.

On the Republican side, then-Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett halted PennDOT’s implementation of REAL ID in 2008. The policy was later reversed by Governor Tom Wolf in 2017.

Despite initial opposition, all states have now met the federal security standards outlined by the Department of Homeland Security for the issuance of driver’s licenses. However, New Jersey has the lowest reported compliance with REAL ID, with only 17% of the population having one.

Kentucky Republican state Sen. Jimmy Higdon recently requested an extension to the May 7 enforcement date, citing concerns about the state’s ability to handle the influx of applications. While compliance with REAL ID is optional for license holders, the requirements dictate that the TSA will only accept a photo ID with a star in the upper corner denoting verification, unless it is a passport.

The implementation date of REAL ID has been delayed multiple times, with concerns about state compliance and resource allocation. Despite these challenges, all states have now met the necessary requirements to issue REAL IDs.

Fox News Digital reached out for comment from the current governors of Washington, Montana, and Pennsylvania but did not receive a response at the time of publication.