Real ID License ~= Passport

North Dakota's Department of Transportation is trying to persuade federal officials to allow use of the Real ID, which is scheduled to be implemented in all states by May 1, 2008, in travel to and from Canada and Mexico. I've argued before that there's a lot of overlap in these two documents, and we really do not need both. Here's the HeraldToday story. Here's a choice quote:

"If we go through all the same steps to issue a Real ID as would be done for a passport, then it doesn't make sense to make the people get another ID to travel," said Keith Magnusson, the deputy director for Driver and Vehicle Services at the state department.

The Real ID rules will standardize the state-issued identification standards, requiring "absolute proof of one's identity" according to Magnusson. This includes verifying documents, such as birth certificates, with the issuing state.