Now this will be interesting. Under the federal Real ID Act, the DMV in California will be tightening down on procedures for getting a driver’s license. That’s good, right? Well, not so fast.
It means longer lines at the DMV. Every driver will be affected. Those getting their first license or those renewing their old one will have to pay more and jump through more hoops. Here's the kicker: California also won’t be able to allow drivers to renew their licenses by mail. Your identity must be confirmed in person. You can schedule an appointment -- next decade, maybe.
All in all, it will be a real pain for most Californians. Do you think the DMV can do this smoothly? You must be dreaming. And will this make it safer, or is it just one more thing to allow Congress to say it's doing something to fight terrorism?
Real ID is the subject of our lead editorial on Wednesday. Check it out. You'll probably come away angry. But just in case you enjoy being frustrated by government bureaucracy, then Real ID is for you.
There is huge potential in the electronic world: medical records, for example, or even control of immigration. However, having DMV do it on a selective basis is madness. It would have to be done on a national mandatory basis or not at all. It is absurd to think that a terrorist would get a California driver's license!
(The article mentioned above, linked.)
It does sound messy. Does the law require this for California IDs as well? [I had one as a teen, before I got a license.] If the law is narrowly drawn, IDs could skate by... which would make it clear that this is just a 'looking busy' effort.