Ok, I am 54 days out and freaking out right about now because I just learned about the Real ID issue. If you don't know what I am referring to, this article should bring you up to speed:
Decision on La. passport requirement for domestic travel expected this week
By Adam Pearson
Published Dec 10, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Dec 10, 2012)
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Decision on La. passport requirement for domestic travel expected this week
By mid-January, Louisiana residents could need a passport to fly within the United States. There are a lot of unknowns regarding Louisiana's non-compliance with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, but some of them could be cleared up later this week.
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Stephen Campbell says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has promised him that the Transportation Security Administration will announce its decision this week on whether or not state-issued driver's licenses will continue to be valid identification cards for flying domestically and entering federal buildings.
Campbell spent all of last week in Washington, D.C., attending a conference and seeking answers pertaining to what could happen if Louisiana doesn't get an extension to comply with the REAL ID Act, which is poised to take effect Jan. 14.
"We're still hopeful that there will be an extension or some other compromise," says Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell.
Louisiana will meet most standards of the REAL ID Act that the 9/11 Commission implemented, Campbell says. At issue is the addition of a gold star to Louisiana driver's licenses to indicate the state is in compliance with federal law and that its residents have a nationally recognized identification number. Louisiana House Bill 715 makes it unlawful to fully implement the ID Act.
"We were worried about identity theft, the privacy issues," says state Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, who sponsored the bill.
Since Louisiana and other states that not in compliance with the federal law have already been issued three extensions in the past, Geymann says he would be highly surprised if Homeland Security did not issue another extension.
"The airline industry would go bankrupt in one day" if an extension is not granted, says Geymann, noting the state could be fully compliant by the end of 2013.
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We never fly, but decided to treat our boys this time. I have $1100 in plane tickets for 2/8/13 and I don't know what to do. I am on a tight budget for this trip and I really can't afford passports too, but I can't afford to lose $1100 either. I also don't want to spend money on passports and find out that I didn't need them. I have emailed every person and agency I can think of and cannot get a straight answer as to if my LA drivers license will work. And, the deadline referred to in the article has come and gone. I can't even find a mention of this on the TSA, DHS or airline website.
Has anyone else heard anything about this? It's worth noting that LA isn't the only state n non-compliance. There are others.
Decision on La. passport requirement for domestic travel expected this week
By Adam Pearson
Published Dec 10, 2012 at 10:00 am (Updated Dec 10, 2012)
ShareThis
Related Stories
Decision on La. passport requirement for domestic travel expected this week
By mid-January, Louisiana residents could need a passport to fly within the United States. There are a lot of unknowns regarding Louisiana's non-compliance with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, but some of them could be cleared up later this week.
Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Stephen Campbell says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has promised him that the Transportation Security Administration will announce its decision this week on whether or not state-issued driver's licenses will continue to be valid identification cards for flying domestically and entering federal buildings.
Campbell spent all of last week in Washington, D.C., attending a conference and seeking answers pertaining to what could happen if Louisiana doesn't get an extension to comply with the REAL ID Act, which is poised to take effect Jan. 14.
"We're still hopeful that there will be an extension or some other compromise," says Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport spokesman Jim Caldwell.
Louisiana will meet most standards of the REAL ID Act that the 9/11 Commission implemented, Campbell says. At issue is the addition of a gold star to Louisiana driver's licenses to indicate the state is in compliance with federal law and that its residents have a nationally recognized identification number. Louisiana House Bill 715 makes it unlawful to fully implement the ID Act.
"We were worried about identity theft, the privacy issues," says state Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, who sponsored the bill.
Since Louisiana and other states that not in compliance with the federal law have already been issued three extensions in the past, Geymann says he would be highly surprised if Homeland Security did not issue another extension.
"The airline industry would go bankrupt in one day" if an extension is not granted, says Geymann, noting the state could be fully compliant by the end of 2013.
------------
We never fly, but decided to treat our boys this time. I have $1100 in plane tickets for 2/8/13 and I don't know what to do. I am on a tight budget for this trip and I really can't afford passports too, but I can't afford to lose $1100 either. I also don't want to spend money on passports and find out that I didn't need them. I have emailed every person and agency I can think of and cannot get a straight answer as to if my LA drivers license will work. And, the deadline referred to in the article has come and gone. I can't even find a mention of this on the TSA, DHS or airline website.
Has anyone else heard anything about this? It's worth noting that LA isn't the only state n non-compliance. There are others.
