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Iowa to issue IDs meeting new federal standards

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January 2nd, 2013 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa transportation officials say state-issued identification cards that meet new federal security standards will be available soon. The state Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the agency will begin issuing driver’s licenses and nonoperator’s identification cards on Jan. 15 that comply with the REAL ID Act. The card verifies a person’s identification and legal presence in the United States.

The 2005 law requires identification cards to meet standards to enter federal buildings or board commercial flights. The federal compliance date varies according to a person’s birthday, and some screening is set to begin at the end of 2014. States faced a Jan. 15 deadline to meet the law’s compliance requirements. Travelers in noncompliant states will use passports for domestic flights.