State motor vehicle officials nationwide who will have to carry out the Real ID Act say its authors grossly underestimated its logistical, technological and financial demands.
In a comprehensive survey obtained by The Associated Press and in follow-up interviews, officials cast doubt on the states' ability to comply with the law on time and fretted that it will be a budget buster.
''It is just flat-out impossible and unrealistic to meet the prescriptive provisions of this law by 2008,'' said Betty Serian, a deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
Nebraska's motor vehicles director, responding to the survey by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, said that to comply with Real ID her state ''may have to consider extreme measures and possibly a complete reorganization.''
And a new record-sharing provision of Real ID was described by an Illinois official as ''a nightmare for all states.''
''Can we go home now??'' the official wrote.
States use a hodgepodge of systems and standards in granting driver licenses and identification cards. In some places, a high school yearbook may be enough to prove identity.
A major goal of Real ID - which was motivated by the Sept. 11 attacks, whose perpetrators had legitimate driver licenses - is to unify the disparate licensing rules and make it harder to fraudulently obtain a card.
The law also demands that states link their record-keeping systems to national databases so duplicate applications can be detected, illegal immigrants caught and driving histories shared.
State licenses that fail to meet Real ID's standards will not be able to be used to board an airplane or enter a federal building.
The law, which was attached to a funding measure for the Iraq war in May, has been criticized by civil libertarians who contend it will create a de facto national ID card and new centralized databases, inhibiting privacy.
State organizations such as the National Governors Association have blasted the law as well. Many states will have to amend laws to comply.
The AAMVA report detailed demands in Utah for new computer software and server space, for employees to meet the requirements of the Real ID Act and for additional security personnel for driver license facilities.
The Utah Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union responded by sending letters to Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., and leaders of the Utah House and Senate, urging them to press for the repeal of the act due to the burden of implementing the legislation.
Last month, the New York City Council passed a resolution urging the state to opt out of the Real ID Act mandates.
“We ask that you take a similar step at the state level and encourage the Utah State Legislature to pass a resolution describing the problems with Real ID and asking Congress to amend the act,” wrote Dani Eyer, executive director of the Utah ACLU chapter in a letter to Huntsman and leaders of the Utah House and Senate.
The AAMVA surveyed states on what would be required to comply with the Real ID Act.
According to Utah's response to the survey, the state will have to:
l overhaul its system so more letters can be entered into the driver license system. North Dakota said making the change in that state would cost $4 million;
l develop a system to check the validity of birth certificates or other documents submitted for identification to obtain a license. The records have to be checked manually, requiring additional personnel;
l equip each office with the ability to scan the source documents;
l hire additional staff and to scan and retain copies of the source documents for a license application for 10 years.
