License to break the Law
Improving the Reliability of State-Issued Drivers' Licenses.

April 16, 2002

Within days of September 11th, the press reported that several of the 19 hijackers held driver's licenses from states that issued them without properly verifying the applicant's identity.  State-issued driver's licenses have become the most widely used form of personal ID verification today.  But in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, it is becoming clear that one weakness in our national security infrastructure is the lack of an effective system to verify the personal identity of people in our country.  Every state currently maintains its own unique policy and procedure for issuing driver's licenses.  Some states require a close scrutiny of the applicant's background, while other states' lax procedures invite abuse and fraud.  The hearing will take a comprehensive look at problems relating to the availability and use of fake or fraudulently issued driver's licenses, with a particular focus on what the state and federal governments can do to improve the system.  Enhancing the process by which driver's licenses are issued, and improving the security of the cards to make them counterfeit-resistant, will not only assist in the domestic combat against terrorism, it can also help prevent under-aged people from purchasing alcohol and tobacco products, keep problem drivers off the streets, and provide law enforcement with tools to fight identity theft.