HELENA — Officials say Montana is now complying with federal driver’s license rules after years of resisting the REAL ID Act.
Montana Department of Justice officials said Monday the notification from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security means Montanans will be able to use their Real ID-compliant licenses and identifications to board domestic flights after September 2020.
Montana and other states had opposed requirements in the federal law passed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, saying the changes were a violation of privacy.
But faced with the deadline to comply or risk Montana residents’ ability to board flights and access federal facilities, the 2017 Legislature passed a bill to create an optional driver’s license that is Real ID-compliant.
Residents renewing their licenses can choose the new one or the old one with the stamp “Not for federal identification.”