REAL ID Compliance: Intelligent Scanning Solutions That All DMVs Need

With REAL ID enforcement just over a year away, states need to prepare their Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices for an influx of applications and the challenges associated with remaining compliant. Some bumps along the way are to be expected, but DMVs can make the application process easier by acquiring the right tools for the job.

What is the Real ID Act?

In the wake of 9-11, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (generally referred to as the 9-11 Commission) decided that “[s]ecure identification should begin in the United States” and recommended that the federal government “set standards for the issuance of birth certificates and sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.” President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act of 2005 into law about a year later.

Title II of the REAL ID Act, “Improved Security for Driver’s License and Personal Identification Cards,” established minimum security requirements for state-issued identification cards and driver’s licenses. The act also forbids federal agencies from accepting IDs and licenses from states that don’t meet these standards for official purposes, such as:

• Entering nuclear power plants
• Accessing federal facilities
• Boarding commercial aircraft regulated by the federal government

For the general population, the most relevant part of these regulations is the requirement for a REAL ID-compliant ID card to board domestic flights. This requirement was originally scheduled to go into effect on October 1, but was postponed by a year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Related: KODAK S2050 Scanners Power Motor Vehicle Administration’s Compliance With REAL ID Act

REAL ID Compliance Challenges

All 50 U.S. states are now equipped to provide REAL ID-compliant IDs, and American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands are currently under review for REAL ID enforcement.

However, compliance doesn’t mean that states’ work is done: With the requirement for a REAL ID for domestic travel just a year away from being implemented, applications for these IDs are expected to rise drastically. This was the case in both North Carolina and Tennessee as the original deadline of October 1, 2020 approached, creating three-hour-plus wait times at the already busy DMVs.

The REAL ID application process itself can also be quite time-consuming.

Individuals must provide documentation proving their legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, and citizenship or immigration status as well as two forms of proof of address. Then the DMV must manually review, organize, and scan the documents. If any part of the application is found to be illegible or missing during the subsequent authentication process, the entire application is rejected and the applicant must return to the DMV to reapply.

On top of these challenges, DMVs are already facing backlogs of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic: The Oregon DMV estimated a backlog of more than 100,000 people after just a two-month closure, and its spokesperson predicted “busy times” to last into next year and potentially longer. Catching up while also juggling the increased visits due to REAL ID and — more likely than not — continuing to enforce social distancing measures will be a struggle for DMV offices across the nation.

Making REAL ID Applications Easier

DMVs may not be able to magically reduce the number of REAL ID applicants or their backlog of work due to closures, but they needn’t continue to put up with a time-consuming and error-prone REAL ID application process.

With this in mind, Kodak Alaris has provided multiple solutions to make the REAL ID application process more accurate and efficient.

INfuse Smart Connected Scanning Solution
In partnership with Integrated Document Technologies (IDT), Kodak Alaris has created a cloud-based scanning solution that all but eliminates the possibility of mistakes.

This solution is built on Kodak Alaris’s INfuse Smart Connected Scanning Solution and integrated with IDT’s CAPSYS CAPTURE ONLINE, and effectively verifies whether an application complies with REAL ID document requirements in real time during the scanning process.

With one push of a button, DMVs can scan all the required documents, check for errors, and either accept or reject the application. Applications that are rejected can be revised on the spot — no need for the applicant to go home, wait until the authentication process is complete, and return to the DMV to reapply.

Improved user experience — both for the workers processing the application and the applicants themselves — will be a natural consequence of upgrading to this solution. The associated cost savings are significant as well: A state with 180 DMV offices that is currently using a PC-based scanning solution could save more than $1.9 million over three years.

Additional benefits of our REAL ID scanning solution include the following:

• No application software, PCs, or staff training required
• Direct integration with the DMV’s business systems to streamline application processing
• Option of either on-premise or cloud deployment
• Ability to ensure the security of personally identifiable information (PII) and meet government compliance requirements by deploying through Microsoft® Windows Azure Government

S2000 Series Scanners
Another option for DMVs that are still using old scanners and outdated software is simply to upgrade to a more efficient scanning solution, such as the KODAK S2050 Scanner.

This is the approach that the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) took when it realized that their aging scanners couldn’t efficiently integrate with flatbed accessories to scan the documents necessary for REAL ID application.

After purchasing an initial 450 S2050 Scanners and 450 flatbed accessories from Kodak Alaris for offices across the state, the Maryland MVA went on to double their order. Employees were and continue to be impressed by the scanners’ speed, authentication and image enhancement capabilities, and ability to safely scan older and delicate documents.

To learn more about how the KODAK S2050 Scanner can help MVAs and DMVs achieve REAL ID compliance, read our case study. For more information on either the S2000 series or our INfuse DMV solution, contact us today.

Featured image via Wikimedia Commons