Real ID would mean real inconveniences
Tuesday, March 11, 2008ISSUE: Real ID
OUR VIEW: Federal mandate would cost state, create inconveniences
It's been only in recent times that South Carolina has markedly improved its system of licensing drivers. The once-interminable waits at Department of Motor Vehicles offices have been replaced with a customer-friendly system that moves the process along nicely. South Carolina leaders want to keep it that way.
Lawmakers and Gov. Mark Sanford are on the same page when it comes to a new federal mandate known as Real ID. The federal act, a response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, requires states to link their record-keeping systems to national databases. Critics complain it amounts to a national ID card, could promote identity theft and costs too much.
Last year, South Carolina joined more than 30 states in rejecting the Real ID mandate. Gov. Mark Sanford and legislators said then, and have reiterated, that the program would cost taxpayers too much and would create long lines at Department of Motor Vehicles offices.
States have been critical because the federal government did not fund the system, which is estimated to cost the states $11 billion to implement. The projected cost in South Carolina stands at $16 million to implement and $11 million annually thereafter.
Sanford has argued that implementing stricter ID standards should be left to the states. ""If the federal government wants stricter ID standards, they should leave it to the states to come up with a way to implement them that works best for each individual state," Sanford said in 2007.
But Real ID is about to come home to roost.
Unless our state joins others in seeking an extension, South Carolinians would need a passport to enter a federal building or board a plane under normal screening after May 11. Travelers with only a state license would be screened much more thoroughly at airports.
That has lawmakers urging Sanford to seek the extension, an action he has indicated reluctance to take out of concern that it commits South Carolina eventually to join the program.
Lawmakers say the extension gives the state time to fight Real ID without inconveniencing S.C. residents.
"While the decision to comply or not comply with Real ID is up to state officials, it's important for the citizens of South Carolina to understand how it will affect them," Department of Motor Vehicles Executive Director Marcia Adams says.
To get the new license, drivers would need to show up in person and provide an original birth ce.jpgicate and other documents. The paperwork would have to be authenticated and scanned for electronic storage -- meaning drivers could wait two to three weeks to receive their verified license in the mail.
The S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles estimates the additional s.jpg would likely increase the average wait in line from 15 minutes to up to two hours. The agency may need to hike the license fee from $25 every 10 years to up to $60 for the new eight-year license.
The 3.1 million licensed drivers in South Carolina are as concerned about national security as much as the people of any state, but it's a safe bet they are not ready to see implemented a questionable program that will yield major inconveniences and costs.
