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"A to Z" Autoshop; Including DLs and IDs

FBI, state, task force busts megabucks, nationwide ID theft ring in the Show Me state; gangsters exploited Missouri’s non-REAL ID compliant DMV procedures

 

(Click here for the video and story)

CSDL Helps Pull Driver's License Counterfeiting Application

As of this morning, December 12, 2011, the "License" application, which allowed users to easily create counterfeit driver's licenses with iPhones, iPads and iPods, has been removed from the Apple App Store following this CSDL Press Release:

 

WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2011

 

Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) sent a letter to Tim Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Apple, Inc., requesting that Apple immediately remove the "License" application from the App Store.

 

The "License" application by DriversEd.com for Apple iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad allows users to electronically insert any digital photo and the biographic information of their choosing into a template for a driver's license of a state of their choosing. The "License" application contains templates for driver's licenses for all 50 states, many of which are of designs that will be valid for the next several years. The user is then able to send the high quality digital image of the completed template to an email account. From the email attachment, the image can then be printed and laminated, creating a high quality counterfeit driver's license difficult to discern from one that's genuine.

 

(Click Here to Continue Reading)

 

(For CSDL's original letter to Apple, please click here)

 

For Related Coverage:

 

Scrutiny prompts Apple to pull fake driver's license app from iOS App Store

 

Apple Pulls App for Creating Fake Driver's Licenses Following U.S. Senator's Complaint

 

 

Ohio Boasts New Real ID Compliant Card

 

The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles driver's license upgrades has put the state in compliance with the Real ID Act. Ohio joins 21 other states now compliant with the federal law. Please see the following press release from the Ohio BMV:

 

 

OHIO RELEASES NEW DRIVER LICENSE AND PLATE DESIGN

 

-Licenses will now be compliant with federal Real ID Act- 

 

COLUMBUS – Today, Governor John R. Kasich, together with Columbus College of Art and Design President Dennison W. Griffith and Columbus College of Art & Design student Aaron Roberts, unveiled Ohio’s new licenseplate and driver license design on the campus of the Columbus College of Art and Design.


For the first time, the new license will be fully compliant with the federal Real ID Act.


“The new licenses and identification cards will be distinctly different in design from the traditional license,” said Mike Rankin, Bureau of Motor Vehicles Registrar.

 
Ohio’s driver licenses will have additional security features, markings, and other federal requirements making it harder to illegally counterfeit.

 

Driver licenses will be released in January of 2013 and the new plates will be available December 2012.

 
 
 

 

SENSENBRENNER TO NAPOLITANO: ANSWER THE QUESTION

 
Last week at a hearing in Washington, D.C., Representative Jim Sensenbrenner repeatedly asked the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, if the Department of Homeland Security would extend the deadline for the states for compliance with the REAL ID Act.
 
Secretary Napolitano answered, “I can’t say right now.”
 
       
 
The exchange between Secretary Napolitano and Representative Sensenbrenner can be viewed here:
 
 
Representative Sensenbrenner subsequently issued a press release regarding the hearing which can be viewed here:
 

 

October 4 - CSDL Awards New Jeresey Motor Vehicles Commission:

 
 
MVC Honored with National Security Excellence Award

 


 
L to R: MVC Board Member/Acting Highway Traffic Safety Director Gary Poedubicky, MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez, Coalition for a Secure Driver's License President Brian Zimmer and Charles McKenna, Director of the NJ Office of Homeland Security & Preparedness.

 
 
(TRENTON)- The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission was honored yesterday by the Coalition for a Secure Driver's License (CSDL) and presented with the group's prestigious National Security Excellence Award during a ceremony at the MVC's Trenton Office Complex. On hand to accept the award from CSDL President Brian Zimmer were MVC Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez and Charles B. McKenna, Director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
 
The CSDL, a national non-profit, crime prevention, educational, public charity based in Washington, D.C. recognized the MVC for three specific achievements related to driver license credentialing: the security and integrity of the new Enhanced Digital Driver License (EDDL), the introduction of fraud prevention measures and the implementation of an effective identity verification process.
 
"This is a great honor for all the employees of this commission," said Martinez. "We have worked diligently to put in place security measures, both physical and process-related, which protect the integrity of our systems and the personal information and identities of nearly 6 million licensed drivers."
 
"Receiving this award affirms the correctness of the state's strategy to adopt a secure driver license that guards against fraud," said McKenna. "The Enhanced Digital Driver License prevents criminals and terrorists from furthering their illegal activities through identity theft, which helps keep us safer."
 
In addition to presenting the National Security Excellence Award, Zimmer also recognized the members of the MVC's Enhanced Digital Driver License project team for its commitment to security in rolling out this new credentialing system. Since 2010, the team, which is comprised of employees from various MVC divisions, has worked to develop the technical and security requirements of the new license, conducted system testing and training, coordinated facility requirements and began work on the implementation of facial recognition technology.
 

"This award is well deserved for many reasons. The EDDL initiative is complex, and has required first rate planning and management skills to bring it into action within the first two years of a new administration," said Zimmer. "This initiative has taken many, many hours of hard work and internal coordination by the team of state employees who have been the key to bringing about important security changes. The end result of this effort will be diverse benefits. For Garden State residents, it will contribute to reduced identity fraud risk. Most importantly, it will aid law enforcement and homeland security officials to safeguard public facilities from terrorists, and to improve public safety by getting imposters off the highways."
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

Regulatory Notice

The Department of Homeland Security Reminds States that Real ID Deadline is pending.

                                                                                         DHS Logo

 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a "60-Day Notice and request for comments" on July 18, 2011, regarding the REAL ID Act rule in the Federal Register.

 

The notice contains that in order for the states and US territories to achieve full compliance with the Act, DHS must make a final determination on or before January 15, 2013 that those jurisdictions which have committed in writing to DHS to meet the requirements specified in the "final rules" as published in 2008 have done so.

 

The notice clarifies how the states must respond, particularly if they are seeking DHS's determination that they are compliant. Please read the following excerpts:

 

 

"States seeking DHS's full compliance determination must certify that they are meeting certain standards in  the issuance of driver's licenses and identification cards and submit  security plans covering physical security of document production and storage facilities as well as security of personally identifiable information. 6 CFR 37.55(a).

 

States also must conduct background checks and training for employees involved in the document production and issuance processes and retain and store applicant photographs and other source documents. 6 CFR 37.31 and 37.45.

 

States must recertify compliance with REAL ID every three years on a rolling basis as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security."

 

Map
CSDL Map of jurisdictions now compliant with the 18 benchmarks. Click picture to view.

 

The certification process is outlined to ensure the states understand what will be required well in advance of the January 15, 2013 deadline:

 

 

"the rule requires the submission of the following materials:

 

(1) A certification by the highest level Executive official in the state overseeing the DMV that the state has implemented a program for issuing driver's licenses and identification cards in compliance with the REAL ID Act.

 

(2) A letter from the Attorney General of the state confirming the state has the legal authority to impose requirements necessary to meet the standards.

 

(3) A description of a state's exceptions process to accept alternate documents to establish identity and lawful status and waiver process used when conducting background checks for individuals involved in the document production process.

 

(4) The state's security plan.

 

Additionally, after a final compliance determination by DHS, states must recertify compliance every three years on a rolling basis as determined by DHS. 6 CFR 37.55(b)."

 


An earlier DHS notice in 2008 had required status with regard to the 18 benchmark regulations, and whether the state intended to comply with the requirements.  Only three states provided a response to DHS that they would not comply: Washington, Montana and Oklahoma.

  

When states submitted their material compliance packages, they had done so in the form of a letter and checklist marked with items with which they are compliant.

 

As the scope of the full compliance packages is much larger, states may want to use this opportunity to file comments on the scope of the information being collected, how detailed it needs to be, and how much time DHS will need to review that information.

 

The regulatory notice also clarified the priority items states should address in preparing their response to the request for comments

  

 

The due date for comments is September 13, 2011.

 

CSDL Press Release: Real ID Panel

 

Sensenbrenner Urges Prompt Action to Secure Driver's Licenses, Cites Success in Curbing REAL ID Program Costs

 

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Citing the risks to national security and public safety from additional delays in rolling out voluntary security upgrades at DMVs, Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) advocated for prompt adoption of REAL ID compliant driver's licenses.

 

 

Rep. Sensenbrenner and other credentialed security experts speaking at a meeting in Washington described state agencies' successes in achieving the REAL ID security upgrades without imposing burdens on recession-era state budgets. Federal grants have defrayed most of the REAL ID upgrade costs, Sensenbrenner said, of about $300 million – a fraction of the cost estimates floated by some critics.

 

"There's a big difference between $300 million and $12 billion," Sensenbrenner said, as he refuted charges that the REAL ID law was an unfunded mandate or part of a federal identity databank, "which I oppose."

 

Rep. Sensenbrenner joined three other panelists at the June 22 Heritage Foundation event, "Making REAL ID a Reality: Next Steps for Congress." The panel included Julie Myers Wood, former Homeland Security Department assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Jack Martin, Federation for American Immigration Reform special projects director; and Brian Zimmer, Coalition for a Secure Drivers License president.

 

 

 

 

 

To view CSDL and the Heritage Foundation's event, "Making REAL ID a Reality: Next Steps for Congress," click here.

 

To find more quotes from the Rep. Sensenbrenner from the panel, click here.

 

To continue reading the press release, click here.

 

Reps. Smith and Aderholt Address Real ID Grants and Additional Oversight for Secretary Napolitano

  

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Photo by Barry Bahler/DHS 
 
 
 
 
 

This year, the House Appropriations Committee allocated $1 billion for "State and Local Programs." Included within "State and Local Programs," is the "Driver's License Security Grant Program."  The Driver's License Security Grant Program (DLSGP) is the funding mechanism though which states have upgraded their driver's licenses.  DLSGP provides funds to states to conduct background checks on DMV workers who have access to personal information or provide new upgrades for processing licenses.  The bill would give Secretary Janet Napolitano funding authority over the REAL ID Act.  Several Members of Congress were concerned that Secretary Napolitano would use that authority to cut funding for the states. In the following clip, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX), and the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security of the House Appropriations Committee, Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL), discuss the importance of the REAL ID Act and why it plays a vital role in deterring terrorism.

 

  

 

"The law is critical to national security. This administration has undermined the REAL ID Act at every turn... Congressional support, including funding, is critical to REAL ID implementation." -Rep. Lamar Smith  
 

  
     
  "I strongly support the REAL ID implementation. REAL ID is the law. The Department has an obligation to support the States in moving forward toward full compliance with enhanced driver's license security."  - Rep. Robert Aderholt 
 
  

 

 

REAL ID Progress in the States: Having an Impact on Identity Theft

CSDL, Fri, 10/08/2010 - 17:13
Roughly half of the State governments have made significant progress toward compliance with REAL ID (see map above). Amongst these, New York and Indiana officials report arresting hundreds of imposters and identity thieves as the result of new anti-fraud measures introduced with improvements for REAL ID compliance.
New York and Indiana report identifying and charging hundreds of welfare and state benefits fraudsters who used driver’s licenses to enable those frauds.
The number of arrests by New York DMV Document Fraud Investigators has risen dramatically as the state moves toward stricter identity verification and document issuance standards, from 140 in 2000 and 216 in 2001 to 826 in 2008 and 789 last year. (NY DFI Arrests by Year, Fraud Arrests 2010 Presentation, NY DMV)
The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles has recently reported a 50% reduction in ID theft since issuance of their new REAL ID compliant Secure IDs and announced that even tighter restrictions are coming soon. (Former Indiana BMV Commissioner Andy Miller, WIBC News, 7/12/10)
Currently, 11 states are in compliance with the 18 Interim REAL ID Benchmarks with Arkansas and Connecticut soon to follow. Another thirteen states will likely achieve material compliance within the next six months, if not before.
Significantly, only three states are actually prohibiting compliance with these federal regulations.
Those non compliant states risk becoming magnets for identity thieves, professional criminal organizations, and alien smugglers targeting DMV offices because standards are lower than compliant states.
The REAL ID Act is NOT an unfunded mandate, FAR FROM IT (see Federal Grant chart)
When DHS announced the final REAL ID regulations in January 2008, the federal government made $360 million available to states—$80 million in dedicated REAL ID grants and $280 million in general homeland security funding. Originally states would have had to produce compliant identifications for all driver's licenses by 2013. But federal regulators included phase-in requirements in the REAL ID regulations that allowed states to first become compliant with licenses of those under fifty years old by 2014, and those over fifty years old by 2017.
The result of this action significantly cut the amount that  states would have to spend. The federal government has provided and continues to provide substantial financial assistance to states implementing these important protections. Each year, states are awarded grants from DHS to greatly assist in covering the costs to states. For example, Maryland and Delaware report compliance as being affordable, with Delaware spending less than $3 million (fully covered by REAL ID grants). (Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles Director Jennifer Cohan. AAMVA Region I Annual Conference Presentation, July 25, 2008)

What is a Secure Driver's License

CSDL, Fri, 02/05/2010 - 02:51

 

One issued only after the identity of the applicant has been confirmed by documentary proof and validated by reference systems (use of SSOLV, EVVE, SAVE).

One that incorporates multi-level physical security features, such as counterfeit proof foils, kinegrams, hidden microprint, together with an identifiable mark that shows it meets federal PL109-13 standards.

 
Why do we need a more secure driver’s license?
 
  • More reliable safeguards against terrorists where entry is checked against watch lists – e.g., airports.
  • Helps to safeguard us against identity fraud at banks, retailers, and protects our government and health records from unauthorized access.
  • Helps ensure that identity documents correspond to actual identities.
  • Keeps violent felons from buying guns under assumed identities.
  • Significant deterrent to trafficking of prescription and restricted sale drugs.
  • Helps to prevent underage drinking.
  • A critical enforcement tool to prevent sales of tobacco products to children.
  • Keeps habitual offenders who have had their driver’s licenses revoked from driving under assumed names.