America Has An ID Problem

It is time for America to create a National ID.

Eighteen years ago this month, America passed the Real ID Act. Starting in May 2025, you will need a Real ID license or a passport to fly. Real ID came from the aftermath of Sept 11th. The fear of additional terrorist attacks through air travel led to the passing of legislation enacting a new secure ID for government purposes.

Real ID is just one of the ongoing topics around identification in the US.

The federal government has been considering E-verify, a system that runs every job applicant through a government database to make sure that they are either a citizen or authorized to work in the US.

The government is also looking into how it can best provide a digital ID for online verification systems. These conversations are still in the early stages so we don’t yet know how it would work.

At the same time, more states are enacting voter ID laws, some of which only allow very specific forms of ID to prove identity. 

On top of that, we use Social Security numbers as a proof of identity but the system was never created for such a use, making it insecure and overburdened.

Then every time you switch doctors, whether that is because you changed jobs, moved, or simply wanted someone new, you have to file multiple pieces of paperwork all to confirm your identity and your insurance. When America eventually switches to a universal healthcare system, this process will need to be overhauled.

And finally, there are people who are concerned about fraud happening with different social welfare programs such as food assistance and financial benefits. With multiple forms of identification needing to be accepted, these systems are inefficient which raises costs and does allow occasional incidents of fraud. 

Every one of these situations can be improved and simplified with a National ID.

“There are only three problems with a National ID: Republicans hate it, Libertarians hate it, and Democrats hate it.” An accurate quip about the challenge of implementing a National ID in America when so many other nations use national IDs every day without issue. Kathleen Unger is the founder of VoteRiders, an organization that helps people obtain ID to vote.

Kathleen was discussing a National ID in regards to the new voter ID laws popping up across America. She goes on to discuss the fact that many countries do have voter ID laws but they also have National IDs. Countries such as France and Germany have a sensible system where their citizens pick up their National ID when they turn 16.

Enacting a National ID has been discussed in Washington several times over the years, and as Ms. Unger pointed out, the idea has been blocked by different parties at different times. Interestingly, both parties have used the same reason when opposing the idea: that a national ID would open up Americans to government surveillance or become an invasion of privacy.

While this was always an unfounded fear, especially given how many situations already require us to disclose our social security number, birth date, even our birth certificate, it is an even poorer excuse in current times. 

Our government already monitors much of what Americans do, including police using license plate skimmers to track citizens movements all across the country.

We live in a time where everything about ourselves is in hundreds, if not thousands, of databases created by corporations and sold to whoever wants to buy them. We are well past an age where we can hide from the world or our government.

With a new universal form of identification, we have the ability to define which departments of the government are allowed to access the information attached to it and when they are allowed to access it. 

The other argument that has come up against a National ID from organizations such as the ACLU is the fear that a National ID will increase discrimination. The concern being that if everyone has a National ID then law enforcement could hassle anyone to show their ID anytime they want. 

The issue with this concern is that there is no law that you need to carry around an ID with you. Without a requirement of always having a National ID on your person at all times, there is no way for law enforcement to force you to display it.

This is also not an issue that applies only to a National ID. Our country already has areas with laws such as Stop and Frisk, where law enforcement can stop anyone they deem suspicious and pat them down for weapons or drugs. Putting limits on law enforcement is the purview of law, not an issue of an ID system. 

That is how America operates far too often. We fear change, fear the extreme outlier that could happen and in the process ignore all the good that could come from change. Then, instead of making a proper, well functioning and efficient solution, we grab the duct tape and hobble together a temporary fix that will be riddled with issues and need to be reworked again in a few years.

That is exactly where America is right now with identification.

Real ID driver’s licenses require numerous pieces of paperwork to prove your identity, including your birth certificate or passport, Social Security card or W-2, and a lease/mortgage, bank statement, or utility bill to prove residency. 

However, this bastion of secure IDs is processed through thousands of different DMVs across the country making it that much easier to obtain a fraudulent ID.

It will have taken a full 20 years to get enough of America to switch over their driver’s licenses to fully utilize the system. In parallel we have companies making fundamental progress on self-driving vehicles, an increase in usage of ride share services, and experiments in free public transit. 

So as the country switches over to requiring a special driver’s license as our main government ID, fewer and fewer people will actually need a driver’s license. Real ID was a short sighted solution to an increasingly complex long term issue.

We’re getting to a point where an American citizen will need:

• A Real ID to fly

• Will be required to make sure their information is correct in the E-verify database in order to apply for jobs

• Need to use their Social Security number for medical appointments and credit checks

• Potentially manage another government database/system for completing online ID checks

• Research their state’s specific Voter ID laws and ensure they have proper up to date ID that works with that law

• Then on top of all of that, still needing their birth certificate, medical cards, and other forms of ID for the mish mash of systems used for services all across the country

And that is for citizens who are prepared and have everything they need ready to go.

Someone who hasn’t had a reason to fly but now has a family emergency may not have a Real ID or a passport. The passport being another example of a system that isn’t keeping up with America’s needs. We are in the midst of a large backlog on passport applications and renewals, a backlog that has been increasing and has now reached 4 months from application to arriving in the mail.

Another person who is excited to vote for the first time, or who moved to a new area with different laws, may end up at the ballot box without one of the limited number of valid IDs needed to cast their vote

These problems don’t need to exist and Americans don’t need to have a half dozen IDs to be able to live their lives. Over 100 other nations have national IDs, with all of the benefits and none of the issues that we imagine could happen. We can look to those nations, to the successful programs they have, and model a version that works best for American life.

Just imagine if when you were a teenager you were able to pick up a national ID that allowed you to cast your vote without issue, travel all around the country, apply for jobs, collect benefits, verify your identity securely online, access your healthcare, and so much more. One single ID that made your life so much easier.

It is time to bring America fully into the 21st century.