After years of controversy, the state Office of Motor Vehicles on Monday started issuing Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, for those who choose one, without much hubbub.

“Of course, we’re only a couple hours in,” said OMV Deputy Commissioner Staci Hoyt, “but it has gone without a hitch.”

Louisiana House passes Real ID legislation offering alternative compliance Louisiana lawmakers are eyeing another way to issue identification cards that would comply with a federal security measure and make it easier …

The state issues about 1 million licenses a year and 60 percent of people seeking licenses will opt for a state driving permit that also allows the holder to board airplanes and enter federal facilities, Hoyt said, basing her estimate on the experiences in other states that offer drivers the option of choosing whether to become federally compliant.

The lines were long at the OMV’s main office in Baton Rouge, but workers there said it was no busier than the first Monday of any month when the most people try to come in and take care of vehicles registrations and driver’s licenses before they expire.

Many people were unaware that they could now choose to become Real ID compliant. Agents at the reception desk handed out paperwork that explained the choice and the requirements.

First time applicants will need to produce documents to prove identity, such as an original or certified copy of their birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport or Permanent Resident card along with a social security card and voter registration card, and two documents verifying home address. OMV will make copies and store the information in a secured database. The driver’s license will have a gold star that shows it complies with the federal standards.

A driver opting out of Real ID still will have to provide the same types of documentation to prove identify, but the submissions won’t be scanned. In the alternative, a valid Louisiana driver’s license can take the place of some identifying documents. The license the driver will receive will include a note that it will not be accepted as identification for federal purposes.

Residents don’t need a Real ID-compliant license or identification card just yet. But on Oct. 1, 2020 Louisiana residents will have to provide a federally recognized form of identification, such as the Real ID license or a passport, to board domestic flights, Hoyt said.

The federal Real ID Act of 2005 was designed as anti-terrorism legislation and is the product of President George W. Bush’s National Strategy for Homeland Security panel. State-issued driver’s licenses are used by most people as identification. The Act required states to follow set procedures and collect specific documents to ensure that the holder of a driver’s license is who they said they are.

Monday ended years of haggling over the issue. In 2008, Louisiana banned compliance with the law on the grounds that it amounted to federal overreach on state authority and intrusion into individual lives.

Louisiana REAL ID debate ends, with new law offering option to drivers Louisiana’s debate about the federal REAL ID security law appears to be over.

Over time the Office of Motor Vehicles began collecting the documents and setting up the systems – such as photographing the person seeking the driver’s license at the beginning of the application process – that federal authorities required. But the state stopped short of fully complying with the Real ID Act.

La. IDs not in line with U.S. Though officials are hopeful the new law will be postponed, Louisiana travelers might need t…

The Legislature passed a bill that overturned the ban in 2014. Debate was harsh. Robert Adley, who was a state senator at the time, noted that his stepmother had emailed all his colleagues condemning his support of the bill. Adley is now a top aide to Edwards.

Then Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed the measure after The Eagle Forum, Louisiana Family Forum and the Tea Party of Louisiana cited concerns that the bill “would compromise Louisiana’s sovereignty.”

Gov. John Bel Edwards made compliance with Real ID one his main legislative goals when he took office in January. He appointed Karen St. Germain, the state representative who had sponsored the 2014 bill, as commissioner of the state Office of Motor Vehicles.

Louisiana House passes Real ID legislation offering alternative compliance Louisiana lawmakers are eyeing another way to issue identification cards that would comply w…

A measure allowing drivers to choose whether to have a Real ID compliant license cleared its final legislative hurdle on June 1, but 21 representatives voted against the bill.

Edwards was the first to receive the Real ID-compliant license, St. Germain said.

As will be the case with many who want to use the licenses as identification to board airplanes or enter federal facilities, the governor had to pay $17 for a duplicate that was compliant. It’s because Edwards had renewed his expiring license before Monday – his 50th birthday was on Sept. 16.

Edwards was able to use his new drivers’ license to board a plane to Havana, Cuba.