Gov. Mary Fallin says Oklahoma has received an extension to comply with the federal REAL ID Act.
Fallin said Tuesday the extension is through June 6, 2017, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that failure to act during the 2017 legislative session to commit Oklahoma to all REAL ID requirements could result in the denial of future extensions.
"Although this is great news for Oklahomans, this is only a temporary fix. I will continue to work with legislators, the state Department of Public Safety, Oklahoma’s congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure a permanent solution is passed into law before this extension expires in June."
The current extension was to expire Jan. 29 and the government in October rejected the state's request for an extension.
Oklahoma Senate President Pro Tempore Mike Schulz said he was pleased with the extension.
"This is an important issue for the thousands of Oklahomans whose livelihoods depend upon access to federal buildings and military installations, and it is an issue of convenience in regards to airline travel. There’s still more work to do to solve this issue permanently, but addressing REAL ID compliance will remain a high priority when the Legislature convenes in a few weeks."
Without an extension, residents would be unable to use state driver's licenses to board commercial airline flights or enter federal buildings or military installations.
The act was passed in 2005 to ensure the authenticity of driver's licenses, but legislators in Oklahoma and some other states believe the government is overreaching.
