ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 3, 2021 – Kodak Alaris recently participated in a virtual event to explore how motor vehicle bureaus are meeting the demands of REAL ID legislation. Initiated after 9/11, and passed by Congress in 2005, the REAL ID Act establishes minimum security standards for license issuance and production, and prohibits federal agencies from accepting driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards.

Executives from the state of Maryland, state of Ohio, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators and Kodak Alaris participated in the Federal News Network panel discussion held on February 11. Highlights included the current status of the REAL ID rollout and successful workflows for processing required application documents.

Beginning October 1, 2021, the U.S. federal government will require a driver’s license, permit or ID card to be REAL ID compliant if an individual wishes to use it to board a domestic flight or enter military bases and certain federal facilities. REAL ID application requirements may vary by state, but all include documentation of legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, proof of address, and citizenship or immigration status.

The percentage of adoption varies by state, with some offering Real ID compliant driver’s licenses or ID cards as an option, and others making it a requirement for all citizens who qualify. Each state is responsible for defining the process its motor vehicle bureau uses to review, verify and authenticate REAL ID application documents. Ian Grossman, Vice President of Member Services and Public Affairs, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, says “Everyone is in a little bit of a different place. If you scanned all of the states, you’d see different levels of implementation.”

Some, like the state of Ohio, use a time-consuming process that requires clerks to manually review and verify documents to confirm authenticity. According to Charles Norman, Registrar of Motor Vehicles, State of Ohio, “a REAL ID transaction takes three to four times as long as a standard driver’s license transaction. So in a state of eight million drivers, you can imagine the backlog that has the potential to create.”

The state of Maryland has implemented a solution that allows workers to meet increasing demand in a timely fashion. The MVA uses a scanning process designed “to recognize documents and look for specific information in a specific location, effectively determining whether the document itself fulfills the request and can be authenticated,” said Michael Leahy, Secretary of Information Technology, State of Maryland. “The key is to make certain we can speed up the process as much as possible. Citizens want things as simple as humanly possible and there has been a movement over the last decade to conform government practices in the IT realm to what has happened in private industry in terms of treating IT not just as a back office practice where people crunch numbers and write programs, but as a business partner to actually improve process across the entire enterprise.”

“As public demand for Real ID compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards continues to grow, motor vehicle offices are experiencing paperwork bottlenecks and a huge administrative burden,” said Kyle Cotner, Public Sector Business Development Manager, Kodak Alaris. “In the digital age, people expect efficiency and security. We need to make sure DMV staff have access to smart solutions that can streamline the REAL ID application process and improve the customer experience.”

Kodak Alaris and Integrated Document Technologies (IDT) have developed a network-connected capture solution that sits at the front edge of the motor vehicle department’s process to allow “point-of-origin” capture and directly integrates into business systems to streamline processing of Real ID applications. The INfuse Smart Connected Scanning Solution provides real-time acknowledgment if an application is in compliance with REAL ID document requirements, right at the point of scanning. With the push of a button, all application documents, including a passport, can be fed, scanned, monitored for exception errors, and validated with an accepted or rejected notification—all while the customer is onsite.

View the complete webinar recording to learn more about how motor vehicle bureaus are meeting the REAL ID challenge. To learn more about REAL ID solutions for government, please visit the Kodak Alaris website. 

About Federal News Radio

Federal News Radio.com and 1500 AM comprise the key source of breaking news, information and analysis for the individuals responsible for carrying out and supporting the missions of federal agencies. Federal News Radio can also be heard on the 107.7 HD2. Federal News Radio and its sister station WTOP are owned and operated by Hubbard Radio, LLC. Visit federalnewsnetwork.com to learn more. 

About the Alaris division of Kodak Alaris

Alaris is a leading provider of information capture solutions that simplify business processes. We exist to help the world make sense of information with smart, connected solutions powered by decades of image science innovation. Our award-winning range of scanners, software and services are available worldwide, and through our network of channel partners. For more information, please visit AlarisWorld.com and follow us @AlarisWorld.

© 2021 Kodak Alaris Inc. TM/MC/MR: Alaris

All trademarks and trade names used are the property of their respective holders. The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under license from Eastman Kodak Company.

Media Contact

Jonathan Ghent
585-279-0102
[email protected]

SOURCE Kodak Alaris