Brief Description: Implementing a biometric matching system for driver's licenses and identicards.

Sponsors: Senators Brandland, Haugen and Rasmussen.

Senate Committee on Transportation
House Committee on Transportation

Background: State law requires that the Department of Licensing (DOL) implement a highly accurate one-to-one biometric matching system by January 1, 2006. When the biometric driver's license and identicard system is established, the department must allow every person applying for an original, renewal, or duplicate driver's license or identicard the option of submitting a biometric identifier. The fee for applying a biometric identifier to a driver's license or identicard is 2 dollars.

DOL may not disclose biometric information to the public or any governmental entity except, when authorized by court order.

In May of 2005, Congress passed legislation known informally as the Real ID Act. The Real ID Act sets new standards for state issued driver's licenses and identicards. States must meet the new standards by May 11, 2008. Driver's licenses and identicards issued by states that fail to meet the deadline will no longer be accepted for federal purposes, such as boarding an aircraft.

Summary: The implementation date for the DOL biometric matching system is delayed until two years after Washington implements the provisions of the federal Real ID Act.

The requirement that the owner of a driver's license or personal identification card be allowed to present a personal identification number before a third party may verify the biometric data is clarified to apply to verification by governmental entities as well.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate      47   0
House      98   0   (House amended)
Senate            (Senate refused to concur)
House            (House insisted on position)
Senate      49   0   (Senate concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006