Homeland Security: CA must change ‘Real ID’ requirements

The U.S. government says California must change how it issues identification cards that comply with stricter federal requirements.

The so-called Real ID cards will be needed to board airplanes or enter federal buildings by October 2020 under security enhancements following 9/11. California already has issued 2.3 million cards.

Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman Marty Greenstein said that those IDs will remain valid and changes will apply going forward.

The DMV had required one document proving residency and counted on delivery by the post office as secondary proof of someone’s address.

Emails show the Department of Homeland Security approved that process last year. But it told the DMV in November that was no longer acceptable and two documents proving residency are required.

The change will be implemented next spring.