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Some US states to fight new drivers license law

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Some states are threatening to challenge and even disobey new orders from the US Congress to bring in uniform procedures for obtaining driver's licenses throughout the US which would mean verifying the citizenship or legal status of people applying for a drivers license.

There is concern among some states that they'll have to pay a lot of money to implement the new rules and that getting a driver's license will become a bigger headache for average people.

Texas Congressman Rep. Ron Paul, M.D., said the new law would create a "national ID card" and "makes a mockery of federalism and the 10th amendment."

"This REAL ID Act establishes a massive, centrally-coordinated database of highly personal information about American citizens: at a minimum their name, date of birth, place of residence, Social Security number, and physical characteristics" he said.

States fear the new rules may force applicants to make more than one trip to motor vehicle departments, once to provide documents such as birth certificates that states must verify and a second time to pick up the license, state officials said.

States will have three years after the president signs the bill to obey the rules. If they don't, their residents won't be able to board planes or enter federally protected buildings.

States also question how they will verify birth certificates, whose appearances vary widely by state and county.