WASHINGTON, March 8, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Susana Martinez signed legislation that will allow New Mexico to comply with the REAL ID Act. New Mexico plans to issue compliant licenses by the fall of the this year.
The 2005 REAL ID Act prohibits federal agencies from accepting driver's licenses that do not meet standards set by the Department of Homeland Security. Since 2003, New Mexico has issued driver's licenses without requiring proof of lawful status, a key component of the REAL ID standards. The New Mexico legislature passed legislation that allows the state to comply with the REAL ID Act, and allows the state to issue driving authorization cards for applicants who cannot or choose not to provide proof of lawful status. Consistent with the requirements of the REAL ID Act, New Mexico driving authorization cards will have a different appearance than a standard REAL ID license and state on the face of the license, "not for official purposes."
Brian Zimmer, President of Keeping IDentities Safe released this statement:
"The bill kills two birds with one stone. On the one hand, it makes great improvements to the integrity of the issuance and adjudication process for New Mexico driver's licenses. On the other, it provides a path toward implementing REAL ID in the state. The process of implementation will depend on the MVD and how it manages the roll out of two new programs stemming from the bill: REAL ID compliant driver's licenses and driving authorization cards. Both will require resources, training, and likely additional staff."
About Keeping IDentities Safe:
Keeping IDentities Safe is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, not for profit, crime prevention education public charity, supported by donor contributions from across the United States. Its slogan, "Working to protect the identity of every American", embodies its commitment to higher standards for both government and private entities that issue identity credentials, especially state agencies that issue driver's licenses and ID cards. Keeping IDentities Safe is a member of the Document Security Alliance and of the American National Standards Institute.
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SOURCE Keeping IDentities Safe
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