REAL ID price tag lower than thought
It will cost the state $3 million to comply with the act's guidelines, which were issued in January, Nanette Rolfe, head of the Driver License Division, told members of the Transportation Interim Committee on Wednesday.
The ongoing costs would also be reduced from the initial estimate of up to $4 million each year to $500,000 to $1 million each year, Rolfe said.
The federal act was enacted in 2005 as a means of enhancing the security of licenses and identification cards used for federal purposes. States must comply or their residents won't be able to use their state licenses or IDs to board airplanes, enter federal facilities or nuclear power plants.
While no commitment was made to comply Wednesday, at least some members of the committee were relieved by the reduced cost.
"This looks doable if we decide to move forward on the $3 million," said Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights. "This is heartening. Last year we all went away shaking our heads."
Initial estimates of state costs nationwide had reached $11 billion over five years.
Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, said in meeting with representatives of other states, he's found "we're not alone in this" sense of hesitation and caution.
The act has also raised concerns ranging from privacy to identity theft to states' rights. In Utah that led the American Civil Liberties Union and Eagle Forum to speak out against the federal act before state lawmakers earlier this year during a debate on a bill to keep the state from implementing the act. The measure failed, but the state has yet to enact legislation requiring compliance.
Utah recently redesigned its licenses and much of what Utah has done is compliant with the federal act, Rolfe said. One change is also required by a state immigration bill that takes effect July 1, 2009.
The state's Driver License Division will have to check citizenship status of applicants and come up with a temporary license for those who are here legally on temporary visas, such as work visas. Those licenses would need to be renewed annually and expire when a holder's visa expires.
Rolfe said one of the biggest cost savers in the final rules allows states to keep their own license design, rather than requiring them to use a standardized federal look.
Recent comments
Cost was the least of most people's concerns over REAL ID. While...
Nose meet face | April 17, 2008 at 11:31 a.m.
Utah is now only one of four states that gives any kind of driver...
Stewart | April 17, 2008 at 11:05 a.m.
None of this addresses the concerns raised by Sen. Bramble's...
WatchDog | April 17, 2008 at 9:08 a.m.
