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California Sets Plan to Share DMV Data to Meet Real ID Rules

Legislative approval of $55 million will determine whether the DMV proceeds.

Overview

  • California officials will upload driver-license records to AAMVA’s State-to-State system to verify identities under federal Real ID standards used to board flights and enter federal sites.
  • Advocates briefed by the DMV say DHS threatened to stop accepting California IDs at airports if the state refuses to share the data, following months of federal audits and funding threats.
  • The database will carry the last five digits of Social Security numbers and use a “99999” code when none exists, which could flag undocumented drivers.
  • Advocacy and privacy groups argue the plan breaks assurances made with AB 60 and could raise deportation risk for more than one million licensed undocumented residents.
  • The DMV says it needs $55 million from the Legislature to implement the upload, so the proposal remains pending in the state budget process.