In just over two years, tough new federal rules will require all states to confirm an applicant’s legal status, social security number and other information before issuing a driver’s license. The 9/11 Commission claims an ID can be just as valuable to a terrorist as a weapon. Stricter enforcement however, leads to increased counterfeiting and forgery as many criminals try to cash in. While fake IDs may look real to the naked eye, Homeland Security’s Forensics Document Lab, equipped with new overt and covert security measures can easily detect the difference. Dawn Nelson, Chief of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations for Identity and Benefit Fraud Unit, warns that using a fake driver’s license is a federal felony, whether it is to board an airplane or to buy a beer.
