Tag Archives: driver's license

Commit Traffic Crimes in 50 States…Well, 7

How does California know whether an arrested intoxicated person has a drunk driving conviction in, say, Oklahoma?

Or better still, how does Oklahoma know whether a licensed driver also has a driver’s license in, say, California?

Answer: they don’t. Because privacy.

The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) provides participating states with a system (S2S) to check such things.

“State-to-State (S2S) Verification Service is a means for a state to electronically check with all other participating states to determine if the applicant currently holds a driver license or identification card in another state. The platform that supports S2S, the State Pointer Exchange Services (SPEXS) was successfully implemented in July 2015. Participation in S2S does not commit a state to be in compliance with the federal REAL ID Act. However, if a state chooses to be REAL ID compliant, the Department of Homeland Security generally looks for S2S to be part of their compliance plan.”

Not all states participate. As it turns out, neither California nor Oklahoma are part of S2S. Oklahoma is slated to join, but this may not happen.

“Oklahoma lawmakers have asked the state Supreme Court to immediately block the transfer of driver’s license and identification card data to a national interstate data exchange run by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).

“The lawmakers argue that the planned transmission exceeds statutory authority, violates state privacy protections, and collapses a key distinction that Oklahoma law makes between REAL ID-compliant and noncompliant credentials.”

Based upon past history, it’s no surprise that some in Oklahoma oppose big guvmint and AAMVA S2S participation.

But why has California opted out of S2S?

Basically, the privacy of Social Security Numbers. The state doesn’t to share this personally identifiable information willy nilly.

(As an aside, take a moment to think about how a state in enforcing the privacy of Social Security Numbers, which are assigned at the federal level. And also think about how Social Security Numbers are NOT supposed to be a national ID number. The mind boggles.)

So what do the other states do if someone claims to have a California driver’s license, but California won’t confirm this because of privacy concerns? Here’s what Tennessee does.

“All states and jurisdictions in the United States participate in S2S, except for California, Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Nevada, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. New or returning Tennessee residents transferring from these nine states must obtain a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) from their former state. The MVR be issued within 30 days of applying for a Tennessee license or ID.”

Good to know if I ever move out of California.

ABI Research and Physical Credentials

Those of us embedded in the identity industry pay special attention to mobile credentials. Although I have wondered whether mobile ID adoption will decrease, we’ve assumed that digital identities will advance.

Just like the death of passwords.

You can see where this is going.

ABI Research has shared its predictions on 13 technology trends for 2026. I paid special attention to number 11.

“It is clear that digital-first identity systems are unlikely to become standard. Most governments will still rely heavily on physical credentials through 2026. Physical documents, such as diver’s licenses and passports, have long life spans. Physical security is already a proven technology, making it essential for continued trust and accessibility in the wake of ever-more sophisticated attack methods. ABI Research cybersecurity analysts view mobile ID as more of a companion to physical credentials.”

Oh, and number 12.

“Interest in biometric payment cards has waned due to high costs and complex onboarding. Zwipe’s bankruptcy in March 2025 is emblematic of this latest trend. To extract returns from their prior investments in biometrics, digital payment providers are pivoting to other markets like secure access and cold wallets. Going forward, the technology will shift from mainstream ambition to specialty use cases, with fewer launches expected in 2026.”

To see what these and the other 11 predictions mean, read the ABI Research article.

Non-citizen REAL ID Expiration Dates Calculated Incorrectly in California

Remember my post that noted an error in Slashdot and Reason reporting about REAL IDs for non-citizens?

No, you don’t have to be a citizen to get a REAL ID.

But your REAL ID is tied to your authorization to be in the United States, and expires on the same date as your authorization to be here.

Well, that’s how it’s supposed to work.

In California, the date calculations (based upon 2006 legacy code) were screwed up for 300,000 legal residents.

“The error overrode the correct expiration date, which should have matched the end of the cardholder’s authorized stay in the United States. Under federal rules, immigrants with legal status — including permanent residents, green card holders and visa holders — are eligible for REAL IDs, but the cards’ expiration dates must align with the length of their authorized stay.”

Except when they don’t.

And for those who believe that granting REAL IDs to non-citizens is an example of California breaking the law:

  1. The DHS approved California’s REAL IDs in April 2019 under President Trump.
  2. Check reliably red South Dakota’s REAL ID requirements.

“If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you must apply in person at a state driver exam station and provide a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration document proving your lawful status in the U.S.”

Slashdot/Reason, Do You Fact Check Your REAL ID Claims?

Unchecked disinformation runs wild in this Slashdot story, contributed anonymously.

“Only the government could spend 20 years creating a national ID that no one wanted and that apparently doesn’t even work as a national ID. But that’s what the federal government has accomplished with the REAL ID, which the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) now considers unreliable, even though getting one requires providing proof of citizenship or lawful status in the country.”

The anonymous Slashdot contributor is either a liar or a fool. As I noted back in May after Leonardo Garcia Venegas’ first detainment (I didn’t know he was detained a second time), a REAL ID was NEVER intended to prove citizenship.

Here are California’s non-citizen REAL ID requirements, which are federally acceptable:

“This includes all U.S. citizens, permanent residents who are not U.S. citizens (Green Card holders), and those with temporary legal status, such as recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and holders of a valid student or employment visa.”

But since the REAL ID expiration date matches the date at which temporary legal status expires, it DOES prove legal presence.

Slashdot, get your facts straight.

Postscript: Slashdot lifted its claims from Reason.

AFOID With an Expanded A: If You Pay the Money, Who Needs REAL ID Anyway?

I’ve vented about this for years. Some people have vented about this for decades. And it’s been discussed for decades.

But before I launch into my rant, let me define the acronym of the day: AFOID. It stands for “acceptable form of identification.”

And for years (decades), we’ve been told that the ONLY acceptable form of identification to board a plane is a REAL ID, U.S. passport, or a similar form of identity. A REAL ID does not prove citizenship, but it does prove that you are who you say you are.

USA.GOV put it best:

“If you do not have a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID, you will not be able to use it to:

“Access federal government facilities or military installations

“Board federally regulated commercial aircraft

“Enter nuclear power plants”

Pretty straightforward. Get a REAL ID (or other acceptable document such as a passport), or there are some things that YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO.

So you needed that AFOID by May 2025…

Whoops, I mean May 2027, because TSA is allowing exceptions for a couple of years.

Whoops, I mean probably never.

If you pay some bucks, you can use a MODERNIZED system. Biometric Update alerted me to this new item in the Federal Register.

“The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is launching a modernized alternative identity verification program for individuals who present at the TSA checkpoint without the required acceptable form of identification (AFOID), such as a REAL ID or passport. This modernized program provides an alternative that may allow these individuals to gain access to the sterile area of an airport if TSA is able to establish their identity. To address the government-incurred costs, individuals who choose to use TSA’s modernized alternative identity verification program will be required to pay an $18 fee. Participation in the modernized alternative identity verification program is optional and does not guarantee an individual will be granted access to the sterile area of an airport.”

I’ve love to see details of what “modernized” means. In today’s corporate environment, that means WE USE AI.

And AI can be embarrassingly inaccurate.

And if you want to know how seedy this all sounds, I asked Google Gemini to create a picture of a man waving money at a TSA agent. Google refused the request.

“I cannot fulfill this request. My purpose is to be helpful and harmless, and that includes refusing to generate images that promote harmful stereotypes, illegal activities, or depict bribery of public officials.”

So I had to tone the request down.

So Much For Fake IDs

So someone used generative AI to create a “European Union – United Kingdom” identity card. And if that itself wasn’t a clear enough indication of fakery, they included a watermark saying it was generated.

So I tried something similar.

But Google Gemini blocked my attempt.

“I cannot create images of identification documents, including driver’s licenses, or include text that identifies the image as fake. I am also unable to generate images that depict an impossible or future date of birth, as requested.”

As did Grok.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t create or generate any image that replicates or imitates an official government-issued ID (even with “FAKE” written on it). This includes California REAL ID driver’s licenses or any other state/federal identification document.”

So I had to make it a little less real.

A lot less real.

Google Gemini.

Sometimes You Don’t Need, Or Want, Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3)

This post is specifically for firms that sell identity verification solutions at various identity assurance levels, or IALs.

I have written a post entitled “Identity Assurance Level 3 (IAL3): When Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2) Isn’t Good Enough.”

Which naturally implies that IAL3 is better than IAL2, because it’s more secure.

So why doesn’t EVERYONE use IAL3?

For the same reason that childrens’ piggy banks aren’t protected with multiple biometric modalities AND driver’s license authentication.

Grok.

Kids don’t have driver’s licenses anyway. 

In the same vein, in-person or remote supervised identity proofing isn’t always necessary. If your business would lose customers by insisting upon IAL3, and you’re OK with assuming the financial risk, don’t do it.

Grok.

Imagine if you had to get on a video chat and show your face and your driver’s license before EVERY Amazon purchase. Customers would go elsewhere. Amazon would go broke within days.

Which is why some identity firms promote IAL3, while others promote IAL2. (I won’t talk about the firms that promote IAL1.)

Grok.

Whatever identity assurance level your prospects need, Bredemarket can help you create the content. Let’s talk about your specific needs.

When the Games Stopped: March 11, 2020

In late 2019 and early 2020 I was working on a project promoting biometric entry at sports facilities and concert venues…until a teeny little worldwide pandemic shut down all the sport and concert venues.

Some of you may remember that a pivotal day during that period was March 11, 2020. Among many many other things, this was the day on which basketball fans awaited the start of a game.

“8 p.m. [ET; 7 p.m. local time]: In Oklahoma City, it was just another game day for Nerlens Noel and his Thunder teammates, who were warming up to play the visiting Utah Jazz.”

The day soon became abnormal after a meeting between NBA officials and the two coaches. Unbeknownst to the crowd, the officials and coaches were discussing a medical diagnosis of Rudy Gobert. (That’s another story.)

“8:31 p.m. [ET]: Teams were sent back to their locker rooms but the crowd at Chesapeake Energy Arena weren’t informed of the cancellation immediately. Instead, recording artist Frankie J, the intended halftime entertainment, put on his show, while officials decided how to break the news.”

Eight minutes later, the crowd was instructed to leave the arena.

Twenty minutes after that, the NBA suspended all games.

Imagen 4.

A little over a month later, on April 19, millions of people were huddled in their homes, glued to the opening episode of a TV series called The Last Dance…the only basketball any of us were going to get for a while. And of course, these games were on decades-long tape delay, and we already knew the outcome. (The Chicago Bulls won.)

And that was our basketball…until the suspended season resumed on July 30 under very bizarre circumstances.

Anyway, all of that was a very long time ago.

Imagen 4.

Games and concerts have been back in business since 2021, and identity verification and authentication of venue visitors with biometrics and other factors is becoming more popular every year.