New Yorkers will still be able to board airplanes using their standard driver’s licenses for at least another year.
State officials said yesterday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had granted New York a one-year extension to comply with the REAL ID Act.
Signed into law by George W. Bush in 2005, the post-9/11 law requires states to issue driver’s licenses and identity cards that are less likely to be forged or to be used for criminal activity. New York is one of only a few states where licenses have been deemed noncompliant by the DHS.
Since 2008, the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles has offered an “Enhanced Driver’s License” that has security features required by the REAL ID Act. However, EDLs cost more for drivers.
