Federal government raises pressure on Oregon over IDs

PORTLAND — Oregon is facing increasing pressure to adopt federal standards for its driver’s licenses and state-issued IDs before residents face additional scrutiny at secured areas, including airports.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has granted the state another extension of its deadline to comply with the Real ID Act of 2005, which laid out a series of standards for state-issued ID cards.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reported that though previous extensions have been in effect for a year at a time, the latest will last through June — just long enough for the Legislature to convene. Alaska, California and Virginia all received similar limited extensions, while several other states received an entire year.

Congress passed the Real ID Act in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It requires higher standards of proof of legal U.S. residency and additional security measures that make the cards harder to replicate.

The Oregon Legislature in 2009 banned the DMV from spending state funds to comply with the federal act, which lawmakers saw as an unfunded mandate. Since then, the state has routinely and successfully sought deadline extensions.

Lawmakers briefed on the issue earlier this year showed no sign of reconsidering, and transportation officials said there was no legislation planned to change the state law.

Absent a change in law or the arrival of federal funding, state transportation officials said they would continue to seek extensions.

The Transportation Security Administration, which oversees airport security, said it intends to stop accepting non-compliant IDs on Jan. 22, 2018.

States that are still compliant — including those whose deadlines have been extended — face a hard deadline in October 2020, when Homeland Security has said it will require all air travelers to carry a Real ID-compliant license.