ST. PAUL - Minnesotans soon may have three choices for the type of driver's license or state-issued identification card they want.
Minnesota provides regular DLs and IDs and enhanced versions. The enhanced ones allow admission into federal facilities and other North American countries. Legislators are looking into ordering the state Public Safety Department to provide another third form, known as Real ID, that complies with federal guidelines.
Sen. Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, said at a Monday Senate Transportation and Public Safety Committee meeting that perhaps the existing enhanced card and the new Real ID one should be merged, but no decision has been made.
Legislators are working on legislation to be considered in the next month, and they will decide how many tiers of licenses the state will offer.
Some federal facilities no longer accept regular state IDs for entry. Airlines continue to accept the regular IDs, but only until 2018.
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Enhanced IDs allow allows entry into countries like Canada or Mexico because it contains a computer chip with passport-like information. The Real ID will not.
Enhanced ID and Real ID cards require more documents than regular ID before they are issued. Enhanced IDs are only for U.S. citizens, while the other licenses are available to non-citizens.
