Special Task Force: Remarks by Linda R. Lewis

President & CEO

January 14, 2002
National Press Club

Like many of you, my first thought to the news of the terrorist attacks was "What in the world is going on?" My second thought was "Who could have committed such an unthinkable crime against humanity?" It is the need to positively identify "who" in these types of situations that brings us together today.

It took less than two weeks for the media to link the ability of the terrorists to penetrate American society and gain entry onto planes with the state-issued driver’s license.

The terrorist attacks on September 11^th brought to light a fact that we in the motor vehicle and law enforcement community have known for some time … that the state-issued driver’s license is more than a license to drive. It is the most widely used domestic document to prove a person’s identity.

This morning I am making an appeal to the American people, privacy groups, states’ rights advocates, the United States Congress, and the Office of Homeland Security to recognize that this nation faces a paramount need for higher standards and uniform procedures for the issuance of the domestic identification document of choice, the state-issued driver’s license. This will require some changes in our current business practices.

These changes will not come without impacts to you, to me or to anyone who wishes to hold a state-issued driver’s license or ID card. These changes will not come without stronger partnerships between a number of agencies and organizations. And, these changes will not come without federal intervention.

How will these changes impact you?

Under new practices, if you are applying for your first license, you shouldn’t expect that it’s a given to walk out the door with license in hand. Why? Because we may need more time to verify the identification documents you have presented. Our primary concern is positive identification of applicants prior to driver license issuance.

Many states are already considering new procedures for those who currently hold licenses. These new checks may require additional verification or reverification from you at the time of license renewal.

As we seek to improve the licensing process, you can expect closer scrutiny of the documents you provide to prove your identity and state residency.

And, not only can you expect closer scrutiny, but also the DMV employee. All states are implementing a system of checks and balances that will help prevent fraud on both sides of the counter.

Under new practices, one definition will determine your state residency for driver’s license application, renewal or transfer. I’m sure the American citizens who are most mobile will appreciate this change.

The federal government has seen fit to strengthen the issuance of HAZMAT endorsements for a commercial driver’s license. We need help from the federal government to strengthen the entire driver’s license application process to help secure a safer America.

By legislating and funding technology, such as the Driver Record Information Verification System, known as DRIVerS, state agencies and federal agencies such as the Immigration and Naturalization Service, the Social Security Administration, the Bureau of Vital Statistics, and, if necessary, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, can share information they already have to:

• Verify your identity while continuing to protect your privacy; to
• Verify legal presence of non-citizens; and
• Ultimately to ensure that we do our part to help identify those in this country whose goal it is to do harm.

Our intent is to establish a driver record identification system that for every driver or person contained therein – there is only one license, only one record, and one identity.

***AAMVA***