A law passed in 2005 mandating that drivers' licenses in all states meet specific security standards recommended by the 9/11 Commission is on pace to take full effect in 2016.

The licensing standard, called REAL ID, has been to varying degrees rejected by several state legislatures, with at least 11 states still issuing drivers' licenses that are non-compliant with the law. Opponents of the law criticize the REAL ID as a federal power grab and an effort to create a national identification card. Also, privacy advocates have raised concerns about REAL ID's requirement that all states submit their motor vehicle information to a national database.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, "The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits Federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver's licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act's minimum standards.