Local changes uncertain as REAL ID deadline approaches

Missouri driver's licenses are scheduled to be made unusable for "official federal purposes" Monday, but the change may not be implemented immediately.

Missouri is among several states that have made headlines in recent weeks regarding the legitimacy of their state-issued driver's licenses after provisions of certain anti-terrorism legislation threatened to nullify them for federal use.

Some feared Missouri licenses no longer would be viable identification for gaining entrance to federal buildings such as courthouses or for boarding airplanes because Missouri is not compliant with the REAL ID act, passed by Congress in 2005.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who signed a 2009 law preventing the state from coming into compliance with the law, called Thursday for state law to be changed in accordance with the federal regulations after the governor's prayer breakfast.

Republican Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said a lawyer is investigating ways to align Missouri law with the federal guidelines.

Missouri, like roughly half of the states in the country, had been issued compliance extensions through 2015. As of Wednesday, five of the noncompliant states, including Missouri, had not received extensions through October 2016 and will be subject to enforcement Jan. 10, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

This, however, may not affect residents in Cape Girardeau immediately.

A Missouri driver's license was sufficient to gain entrance to the Rush Hudson Limbaugh U.S. Courthouse in Cape Girardeau on Thursday, but it was unclear whether that would remain the case past Monday.

The U.S. Marshals' eastern district offices did not respond to Southeast Missourian inquiries regarding whether Missouri licenses will remain valid after next week.

Missouri licenses will, however, continue to be recognized as valid identification for boarding aircraft at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport for the foreseeable future.

Airport manager Bruce Loy said Thursday the information he's received from the Transportation Security Administration indicates little will change.

"As far as we're concerned currently, it's not going to have an effect," he said.

Restrictions on boarding aircraft are slated to be the fourth and final enforcement phase, after restrictions on federal facilities, nuclear power plants and other areas have been implemented.

There is reason to believe the changes that would affect air travel lie pretty far in the future, Loy said.

Before the final phase can be implemented, DHS will need to complete an evaluation process it has said will not occur until at least this year.

This means any changes regarding airplanes are at least several months away.

Cape Girardeau Regional Airport conducts direct flights to Fort Leonard Wood, however, which Loy said could become problematic.

Being an Army base, Fort Leonard Wood is the type of federal facility the REAL ID Act was designed to protect, but Missouri licenses will continue to be valid identification there as well.

Cheryl Nygaard, public affairs specialist at Fort Leonard Wood, said the office of the Provost Marshal General, the head of U.S. Army law enforcement and security, issued a statement regarding the REAL ID Act's enforcement at Fort Leonard Wood, in which he said "nothing will change regarding access ... ."

Even when the final phase is implemented, individuals still will be able to present a driver's license issued by a noncompliant state, provided they also can produce secondary identification. U.S. passports or passport cards are accepted forms of identification for all levels and will remain so.

tgraef@semissourian.com

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