Anybody know the real scoop on what Homeland Security requirements will be for keeping drivers licenses? How will it affect us full timers. Will they accept the street address of the mail forwarding company?

Paul - 52678

Paul,
Great question and timely! If you go to: http://epic.org/privacy/id-cards/ (sorry, this site is very bias/slanted against the implementation) it will give you information on where the Real ID Act of 2005 stands as of now, ie., the implementation status by Homeland Security, and the 17 states that oppose the implementation.
Also, this has been in the news recently. As it stands now, according to our local news (Denver channel 9), if the states do not adopt Real ID by March of 2008 than the people from those states (that do not adopt the implementation) will not be able to use their drivers license as a form of ID to board airplanes and will need a passport to fly. So it seems that a showdown will be coming to a head soon. As I read the website and requirements for a driver's license in the Real ID Act of 2005 one of the requirements for getting a drivers license will be to provide an address of principle residence (don't know what that means for people who are fulltiming and only have a forwarding address or a post office box. In any event, we all need to keep abreast with the lastest developements, whether we agree with the requirments or not, or if it will inconvience us or not... something is going to happen and it maybe sooner rather than later. Maybe the answer is to get a passport if you haven't already and that might help full fill the requirement to get a state drivers license. I hope someone else has better news on this issue,it certainly is a hot topic. It is also very relevant to the RV community. I read somewhere in the discussion pages that the Escapees club and other RV clubs were doing something to help out the members, but I can't remember exactly how far that effort went or if they received any answers. Oh yea I did find it but it turned into a political football, hope this thread does not and you get real answers to this Real ID question.

I haven't read anything in the Real ID Act that prevents one from using a mail forwarding address for a driver's license.

Here's a summary of the Real ID Act.

Under "Minimum DL/ID Issuance Standards," it says:

At a minimum, a state shall require the presentation and verification of the following information:

1. A photo identity document (except that a non-photo identity document is acceptable if it includes both the person’s full legal name and date of birth)

2. Documentation showing the person’s date of birth

3. Proof of the person’s social security account number (SSN) or verification that the person is not eligible for an SSN

4. Documentation showing the person’s name and address of principal residence

#4 *could* be a sticking point, depending on what a particular state decides they want for proof of "address of principal residence." I don't know about y'all, but we have lots of items with our mail forwarding address on them: Credit card statements, brokerage statements, wireless phone bills, etc. I've heard some people say you're going to have to show a utility bill to "prove" that you live in a sticks and bricks house, but I can't see where that could EVER be a requirement since there are lots of living situations where people don't get utility bills in their own names (students living with their parents or in a dorm is just one example).

Frankly, I think the worry about the Real ID Act is much ado about nothing.

The Arizona Republic , the newspaper that is supplied to us where we currently volunteer, has an article about that very issue in yesterday's paper.

Basically the situation is that the feds are still pushing it to be implemented after May, 2008. Thus far, 16 states have passed legislation refusing to implement it and Arizona is in the process of doing so.

One of the main issues is that the feds did not fund the required changes and the total cost is expected to exceed $3.9 billion.

Texas is one of the states that are refusing to implement this standard. At this point it is basically a game of "chicken" since the failure to do so will probably mean no federal funds to build or maintain roads.

To date, there are no states that are reported to have passed legislation to implement the new federal rules.

The NBC news said a state not complying with the real id law for driver's license will mean the citizens of that state will not be able to use their photo drivers license to board a domestic air flight in the US. (Use your passport).

Proof of IDENTIFY is the point of the law apparently. Proof of physical address really is a detail pretty much meaningless. NBC said the Feds are pushing to impliment for young persons first and the over 50 set will have 10 years. Stay tuned for further developements.

Ok, so I'm a fulltimer that "resides" at PMB #XXXX at 3700 S. Westport Ave, Sioux Falls. That's my address. There is not other address.

So, it appears that it would be a good idea to have a passport just in case I have need of flying someplace in an emergency... which is the only way I would anyway. Well, that and I may want to cross into Canada to get to Alaska one of these days. Either way, a passport seems to be a good idea.

Now, when I apply for a passport, will that South Dakota address be sufficient for the passport? Or will it be another sticky wicket to get stuck in?

If necessary, I have considered buying an actual physical place in South Dakota that would minimally meet the requirements necessary but really would rather not do that, at least not at this time.

Anybody have experience with a passport and a PMB address??

Thanks,

Brian

We applied for and got our passports using our Livingston Escapees Mail Service PMB address. However, we well might have used number sign # instead of PMB. Really don't recall.

We, too, use the "#" sign in our address, NEVER the "PMB." The ONLY place the PMB appears is on our SD driver's license. When we first got our SD driver's licenses, we both completed the form with the "#," but they changed it to the "PMB."

We haven't yet applied for our passports, but we have the forms all filled out...just need to go someplace to have it done. We are using our Sioux Falls mail forwarding address (the only address we have), and we're using the "#." Since we will probably apply for our passports while we're still in Texas, I can't imagine that they would know the 3700 S. Westport Ave., is a mail forwarding address, or, if they did, that they'd care.

Our driver's licenses say PMB but we usually write #. After eight years we have found no problems with either and it has never been questioned. I think that often people make problems where none existed by explaining a question that was never asked.

I hear ya, Kirk.

Motormouth syndrome can really work against people at times. But it can be easy to do, especially when nervous or anxious.


Safe travels,

Brian

quote:

Originally posted by Kirk:
Our driver's licenses say PMB but we usually write #.

That is exactly what we do. And we did the same as LindaH. Filled out the paperwork with "#", but SD driver's license bureau put the # as PMB. We will continue to put # whenever possible.

Kathy

USPS knows all the PMB services since they have to register, and follow USPS rules. When addresses are verified by various computer services, that is when the PMB shows up, and sometimes gets substituted.

I guess what I was thinking was, if a PMB address is not sufficient on a drivers license for purposes of boarding an airplane, then what would make it ok on a passport for boarding that same plane?

Just another beurocratic hoop? (I realize that the laws haven't come into effect yet, but I've been considering going ahead and getting a passport anyway.)

Just trying to make sense of it. (Ok, I'm dense...) ;-)

Brian

Keep in mind that a Passport is based on citizenship, while a drivers license is base on State residency. Two completely different sets of requirements.

This question got me to thinking (rare I know) If a "physical address" is a house/apartment number and street name only... other than fulltimers, what do the people whose only address is "Rural Route #" and several other people have that same exact "address" do?