Changes in Store for PA Drivers
Dale
G. Larrimore, Esquire
2017 is going to be a year of change
for drivers in Pennsylvania. In addition to the changes in the Vehicle Code or court
decisions that may affect some of us, there are two more basic issues that will
affect all drivers.
First, for vehicle owners, there are
new rules for the annual registration of vehicles. No longer will you receive
the small sticker to be attached to your license plate on the renewal of your
car registration. Vehicle owners are still obligated to register their vehicles
and obtain a registration card from the Department of Transportation. However,
in a move that PennDOT estimates will save the over $3 million annually, the
state will no longer send little stickers to be affixed to your license plate.
This change will enable owners to
renew vehicle registrations online and print their official registration card
at home, rather than receiving it through the mail. You will now also be able
to register for two years at one time, by doubling the $36 annual fee. Of
course, you may still mail a check to PennDOT for the annual fee and receive a
registration card in the mail.
The second major change involves the
REAL ID Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 2005, mandating changes to state
standards, procedures and requirements for the issuance of driver's licenses
and identification cards, if they are to be accepted as identity documents by
the federal government. Pennsylvania does not currently meet these federal
standards due to the passage, by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, of the REAL
ID Nonparticipation Act[1]
which bars the Governor and PennDOT from participating in REAL ID.
PennDOT
Secretary Leslie S. Richards said in a statement in October: “In large measure,
we are out of compliance for limited technical reasons and because existing
state law bars us from fully complying. While we understand frustration with
the cost of this unfunded federal mandate, our failure to comply because of the
prohibition of current law will be a burden for Pennsylvanians.” In a statement issued at the beginning of
2016, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson noted that, “for a license or
identification card to be REAL ID compliant, the state issuing it must, for
example, incorporate anti-counterfeit technology into the card, verify the
applicant's identity, and conduct background checks for employees involved in
issuing driver’s licenses.”
Under
the REAL ID law, airline passengers from Pennsylvania and eight other states
will not be allowed to board a flight as of January 22, 2018. Of more immediate
concern, however, beginning on January 30, 2017, a Pennsylvania driver’s
license would not be a valid form of identification for those visiting a
federal facility, nuclear power plant or military base. Pennsylvania residents
will need a federally-approved form of identification to access those buildings
and facilities.
Earlier
this month, Gov. Wolf and Pennsylvania legislative leaders wrote to the
Department of Homeland Security and committed to taking action during this
legislative session to make Pennsylvania driver’s licenses REAL ID compliant. Based
on that communication, Homeland Security has granted Pennsylvania a final
extension, until June 6, 2017, to show real progress in complying with the law.
PennDOT has estimated that compliance with the federal statute would cost over
$250 million for replacement of the nine million driver’s licenses and 1.4
million photo ID cards. However, other states have issued compliant licenses at
a lower cost. State legislators are taking a two-pronged approach: asking
federal legislators if the REAL ID law can be changed and working out a plan to
make Pennsylvania licenses more secure.
[1]
Act
of May 8, 2012, P.L. 254, No. 38. “Neither the Governor nor the Department
of Transportation or any other Commonwealth agency shall participate in the
REAL ID Act of 2005 or regulations promulgated thereunder.”
