Last year I volunteered to receive a Real ID compliant New York Enhanced Driver License (EDL) for no good reason. I was just curious to see how the process for getting one worked and how it was different from any other license. For anyone not familiar with the program, an EDL acts as an RFID-enabled ID card comparable to a DHS passport card. The idea is that at a border crossing, the RFID is activated and provides a unique key which references my identity. The RFID tells the border agent that the document is valid, and the agent can then look at the identity info on their terminal and verify that the person carrying the card is the one crossing the border.

Here's my experience with a Real ID, in not so few words.

This all started when I went to DMV to register a car I'd just bought. While waiting in line I noticed a DMV employee set a stack of EDL brochures into the information kiosk. I looked it over, and didn't really see the big deal, but fascinated by the word "ENHANCED" boldly emblazoned on the top of the license I decided to try and apply for one. I was told that to apply I would need my original birth certificate & social security card, a utility bill or bank statement to prove that I was still living at my current address, and of course my current NY driver license.

I came back the following day with all my paperwork, filled out the form, and was given my "take a number" number. The number was: G001. I only remember this because apparently, I was the first person at my DMV branch to request an EDL. This wasn't really a surprise since I'd just watched the DMV employee put out the pamphlets the day prior (and we're near NYC, hundreds of miles from border crossings, so the utility of an EDL is pretty low).

Virtually none of the DMV employees there that day were prepared to issue the EDL. Naturally suspicious as they may be, a group of DMV employees carefully scrutinized all my documentation before passing them through an optical scanner. This was apparently a learning experience for those involved, as the optical scanning of identity documents seemed new to them.

Once my identity was verified, I was given another number and told to wait for the license photo. This is where things got really interesting. The photo for the NY EDL takes place with a separate, specialized photo booth. This booth, used only for EDLs, apparently includes some kind of facial recognition technology. The camera takes exposures from at least 3 angles. I was told at that time that the facial recognition data was stored and used for identity verification at the border (not specified whether it was in their databases or on the RFID chip inside the card, nor whether the verification was automated or only for secondary screening).

After my photo was taken, one final group of DMV employees verified that all the steps were complete. I paid the fee at this time and was told to wait. A week or so passed by, and then I got it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sousveillance/sets/72157608811990916/

Immediately I noticed that the EDL was much heavier and less flexible than a regular license. The 1-dimensional barcode on the back of most New York licenses was gone, and a passport-esque printout for OCR was in its place. And, best of all, the license came with an RFID protective sleeve. That's right, DMV issued tin foil hats for your Real ID.

So far I haven't noticed anything in the way of helicopters following me around at night or anything. In fact, I've had several encounters with law enforcement and the EDL seemed to interest them. The first time, barely a week after I received it in the mail, a cop told me straight up that he couldn't scan my license, and instead of writing it out by hand, just gave me a warning. Another time, I almost got into an accident with a cop which was totally my fault, but when he saw my EDL he asked what an enhanced license even meant (to be fair, it was in NJ, and NJ has no EDL program AFAIK).

I haven't crossed a border with it yet, in fact I've never traveled outside the US in my adult life. But the one thing I will say, is that my enhanced ID has improved my experience while dining out or otherwise buying age restricted products. Since no one in my area has an EDL besides me, store clerks remember me as "the enhanced license guy".

As for privacy concerns, honestly, I found it a little odd that they took the facial recognition photo. Makes me wonder when these are coming to the USA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:100_5413.JPG

Any questions?