Comparing Real ID and Pass ID
April 1, 2009
April 2009 | View the Full Report (PDF)
REAL ID Provides Real Security, While PASS ID Provides Only A False Sense Of Security
In response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 to establish uniform security requirements for State-issued drivers’ licenses and identification cards. On June 15, 2009, Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) introduced legislation (S. 1261) entitled “Providing for Additional Security in States’ Identification Act of 2009” (PASS ID). PASS ID will gut the security provisions of REAL ID and re-establish many of the loopholes that allowed the 9/11 hijackers to carry out the attack on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. This document explains some of the key differences between REAL ID and PASS ID.