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[IP] Carnegie Mellon study on drivers licenses and REAL ID Act [priv]





Begin forwarded message:

From: Declan McCullagh <declan@xxxxxxxx>
Date: August 9, 2005 8:16:20 PM EDT
To: politech@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Politech] Carnegie Mellon study on drivers licenses and REAL ID Act [priv]


Previous Politech message:
http://www.politechbot.com/2005/08/09/ways-to-fight/


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [Politech] Ways to fight the REAL ID Act at the state level: some suggestions [priv]
Date: Tue, 9 Aug 2005 19:59:46 -0400
From: Serge Egelman <egelman@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Declan McCullagh <declan@xxxxxxxx>
References: <42F92683.5060208@xxxxxxxx>

We just completed a study at CMU on driver licensing standards and
identification documents. To comply with the REAL ID Act, no state has to actually change what is printed on the license (all state licenses have a name, birth date, unique number, signature, machine readable field, etc.). The only thing that changes is the policy with regard to granting the cards (under the
REAL ID Act, root document are to be "verified" and stored in a shared
database).  This is where the significant costs come in to play.

Some states are already saving copies of root documents (I just transferred my VA license to a PA one and watched as they made copies of my previous license, passport, and social security card). So to comply with the law, a state that already collects copies of these documents (many do) wouldn't necessarily need to reissue licenses to all of its citizens (I honestly don't remember if they
made copies of my documents when I first got a VA license).

Don't get me wrong, I don't like the law either, but for different reasons. Our study should be in the next issue of I/S (http://www.is-journal.org). As a side note, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, as of 2001 (the last official study), only 70% of Virginia residents were licensed drivers.


Thanks,

serge

--
/*
Serge Egelman

"Sobriety diminishes, discriminates and says no, while drunkenness expands,
unites and says yes!" -Henry James
*/

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