Look for new security features and compliance with federal REAL ID law
Business travelers, companies hiring drivers, and those concerned about fraudulent licenses may be interested to know about two upcoming changes planned for Pennsylvania driver’s licenses.
The first change is rolled out this summer and fall. All newly issued driver’s licenses will have added security features to help prevent fraud, counterfeiting, and alteration. New embedded technology will mean an end to the magnetic strip on the back of current driver’s licenses. Photos will also be larger. These changes are the latest in a series of updates that PennDOT has made to stay up with national driver’s license standards. It is important to note that any current driver’s license remains valid through its expiration date.
Over the next couple years, Pennsylvania will also be coming into compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. The state legislature passed Act 3 at the end of May, and that bill has been signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf. The Real ID Act requires states to have certain security processes in place when issuing driver’s licenses and additional security features within the driver’s license.
There are deadlines when REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses will be required to enter military bases and most federal facilities. REAL ID compliant driver’s licenses will also be required at airport security points to board flights. After those deadlines, someone without a compliant license would have to also have another ID, like a passport.
If your work takes you into federal buildings or military installations, it’s important to know that the current deadline requiring a REAL ID is October 10, 2017. The deadline requiring residents from non-REAL ID compliant states to show an alternative form of identification at airport security is January 22, 2018. While PennDOT says it won’t be issuing the compliant licenses until 2019, it believes our state will be granted extensions that prevent any inconvenience.
