Friday, Dec. 18, 2009 | 5:44 p.m.
CARSON CITY – The federal Department of Homeland Security has backed off its requirement that all motorists provide additional identification starting Jan. 1 to renew or get a new driver’s license.
The upshot is that Nevada drivers will continue to follow the current process to obtain a driver’s license.
The National Governors Conference contacted Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano expressing concern that most of the states could not comply with the Jan. 1 deadline.
Late Friday, Napolitano pushed the compliance date to May 10, 2011.
The Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles has developed a program to comply with the federal law and Gov. Jim Gibbons signed an emergency regulation to put it into effect starting in January.
Tom Jacobs, public information officer for the department, said first-time drivers or those coming from other states will still have to provide identification. But those renewing their license will go through the same procedure.
Jacobs said this means that drivers born before Dec. 1, 1964 will have licenses good for federal purposes until 2017 for such things as getting on airplanes or entering federal buildings where identification is required. Those born after Dec. 1 1964, will have licenses good until 2014 for federal purposes.
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