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Politics & Government

Maryland Driver's Licenses Meet Standards of Federal REAL ID Act

Only 13 state licenses qualified but other states were granted a deferral.

Drivers licenses issued by the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration are considered valid ID for gaining entrance to certain federal facilities and for boarding commercial aircraft under the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) "REAL ID" Act.

A press release issued by DHS identified Maryland and 12 other states meeting the minimum standards.  The other states were Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Some states did not submit sufficient information for DHS to determine whether their identifications met requirements. The release also said that a temporary deferment will be granted to those states that did not meet the requirements at this time.

Find out what's happening in Bethesda-Chevy Chasewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The REAL ID ACT was passed by Congress in 2005, based on a recommendation from the 9/11 Commission that established "standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses" as an important part of a national security strategy.

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