RFID tags coming to driver’s license

It’s an alternative to RFID passport system, which has raised a furious debate throughout the USA. The primary aim of RFID-enabled driving license is to ensure security at our border areas without obstructing trade and tourism, the Washington government claims.

Acting on the Federal mandate, the Washington government has joined hands with the US Department of Homeland Security to develop a driver’s license, which would embed RFID tags, reports CRW News. These driving licenses will be issued next year.

The RFID pilot programme meets the Federal Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)compliance, which was enacted three years ago in the Congress.

As per the WHTI regulation, the visitors crossing US borders to Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda should hold passports or other DHS-approved documents to prove their identity.

However, the problem lies in implementation of RFID-enabled driving licenses as it happened with RFID passports.

The proposed RFID pilot programme are likely to pass through the bumpy roads before it becomes widely acceptable in the country. Not surprisingly, the reason here is privacy concerns of the license holders.