ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - Minnesota residents should be able to use their standard driver’s licenses for domestic flights until October 2020 as stronger Real ID requirements roll out, state officials said Monday.
It’s been an open question for years as the state has struggled to satisfy a 2005 federal law meant to boost security and combat identity fraud after the Sept. 11 attacks. The new requirements took effect at airports and federal facilities in January, but Minnesota and roughly 20 other states have an extension to continue using the older IDs until this fall.
While Gov. Mark Dayton has repeatedly pushed for a longer extension, the U.S. Department of Homeland Safety has rejected those requests. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said Monday that while an extension hasn’t been formally granted, the federal government assured state officials that Minnesota residents would be allowed to continue using their traditional licenses until Oct. 1, 2020.
“It’s great to see that Minnesota IDs will continue to allow millions of Minnesotans to board airplanes until October 2020,” said Rep. Dennis Smith, a Republican lawmaker who helped pass the law creating Real ID in Minnesota.
The Department of Vehicle Services says it’s on track to begin offering the Real ID-compliant licenses this October.
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