Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: Increase In Fake Drivers' Licenses

Volume 3 / Edition 4

This Week; Focus On: Mirror, Mirror On The Wall: Increase In Fake Drivers' Licenses

At BNI, we've begun to track a disturbing trend in the past year regarding driver identification. It's a fact that unless the driver involved in an MVA is personally known to the responding police officers, there has been no proven verification method, technique or technology available for definitive driver identification. In field investigations, we are now noting an alarming increase in fake drivers' licenses presented at accident scenes. This trend will continue to spiral upwards and draw into its vortex a disproportionately high number of potential drivers with immigration status issues.

According to a survey (released September 21) of motor vehicle administrators from 47 states, the States cannot possibly meet a May 2008 federal deadline to convert for making driver's licenses more secure. (The survey was compiled by analysts from the
National Conference of State Legislatures , the National Governors Association and the Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.)

The 2005 Real ID act was passed ostensibly to keep driver’s licenses out of the hands of terrorists and to make it tougher for illegal immigrants to get state-issued IDs. Under RID (interesting acronym) all new and existing license applicants must present and states must verify: a form of photo identification, a document showing date of birth, proof of a Social Security number and a document with the name and address of the applicant. In addition, all state-issued driver's licenses must include an individual's name, address, date of birth, gender, signature, driver's license number, a digital photograph and several features to prevent counterfeiting.

Generally, making official Ids more secure is a good idea. And, in 2004, state governments and the federal Department of Transportation were in the process of setting new driver’s license security standards to fulfill some recommendations of a task force studying the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Four of the 19 hijackers in those attacks used state-issued driver’s licenses to board planes they later crashed.

But Congress pre-empted that process, attaching the Real ID provisions to an emergency budget bill and passing it with no hearings, little debate and without any input from the states.

States have objected to the law for several reasons, but mostly because it may require all license holders to make an in-person visit to get the new identification within five years of the 2008 deadline.

State workers also would become responsible for verifying applicants’ documents, but only one of five necessary electronic systems to accomplish that is available nationally, the report states.

Designing licenses to prevent counterfeiting will be an exhaustive and expensive undertaking.

But perhaps the strongest states' objection is that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has yet to issue specific guidelines for the law.

The negative impact of this undefined act and immigration issues now facing our state and country will be very real, immediate and harsh in states with a high immigrant populations such as New York. Without a viable, careful and compassionate plan enacted to obtain legal driver's licenses, many, driven by need, will opt for the flourishing false document underground that is very alive and well fed. Obviously, analyzing this one step further – many will not seek to carry necessary and adequate insurance policies.

BNI has coordinated, online and in the field, with private organizations and governmental agencies to resolve active false identification cases. If your firm encounters this issue, please feel welcome to call us with any questions you may have.

BNI Investigators: Street smart: Net savvy.

I look forward to any comments you may have or and questions I can answer for you.

Sincerely,

Lina M. Maini
Editor, The Beacon Bulletin
CEO, Beacon Network Investigations, Inc.