
CHICAGO (CBS) — By the end of the year, Illinois residents might need more than their driver’s license or state identification card to get aboard a commercial airliner.
Illinois has been dragging its feet on federal security rules for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards. The 2005 REAL ID Act requires state officials to verify birth certificates through the Electronic Verification of Vital Events system in order to meet federal security and anti-terrorism guidelines.
The Department of Homeland Security has given Illinois two extensions, but the latest is set to expire in October. Without another extension, an Illinois driver’s license or identification card no longer would be sufficient for commercial air travel, starting in 2016.
Illinois Secretary of State’s office spokesman Dave Druker said it’s not a simple matter to meet the federal guidelines.
“We need the General Assembly to pass the law. It’s not something we can arbitrarily implement,” he said. “We need, A, the funding; and, B, the approval of the state of Illinois to be able to do this.”