Federal ID - Good Idea or Not?

There is a lot of talk recently about the Department of Homeland Security’s draft regulations to establish minimum standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards in accordance with the REAL ID Act of 2005. These proposed regulations set standards for states to meet the requirements of the REAL ID Act, including:
security features that must be incorporated into each card;
verification of information provided by applicants to establish their identity and lawful status in the United States; and
physical security standards for locations where licenses and identification cards are issued.
The 9/11 Commission endorsed the REAL ID requirements, noting that “For terrorists, travel documents are as important as weapons … All but one of the 9/11 hijackers acquired some form of identification document, some by fraud.”
The question on the minds of many HR managers is “Will this new Real ID card make it easier to for them to prove someone’s identity in a hiring situation?”

Will fewer people be able to obtain false documents for the purpose of gaining employment, or will fraudsters continue to try and beat the system?

Also, is the federal government moving to get so involved in this “big brother” ID card system that other public record information is “tied” to the card besides just name, DOB and photo? Will there be a need for background screening companies in the future, or will the government issue a card that can be scanned to reveal a person’s driving history, criminal record, bankruptcy filings, credit record, etc?

This sounds absurd, but many people are opposing the Real ID card now even though it is nothing more than a federal version of the state card. There is really nothing now to oppose, unless you are the states who have to fund the implementation.

As far as people obtaining false documents, the chances that the federal government can create something harder to falsify than the states have in place is crazy. We can make it more expensive for these fraudsters, but can can’t keep them from figuring out a way to beat the system.

It sounds as though this Real ID Act is seeing so much opposition from states already there may be no need for this discussion. But if you have comments on the possibility of the federal government someday taking this to the next level, please post a comment and tell us what you think.

Welcome!

Verified Person welcomes you to the pre-employment screening blog, where you will find interesting articles and comments on news and trends in the background screening industry. Feel free to comment on any posts listed here. We welcome your questions, concerns, wish lists for new products, and tips you may have for fellow colleagues on performing background screening in your organization.