Oregon does not comply with the federal Real ID Act. It’s time that changed. The Real ID Act, adopted by Congress in 2005 at the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission, beefs up the states’ identification requirements when issuing driver’s licenses or state identification cards. At least two of the 9/11 hijackers possessed fake driver’s licenses.

Today, 26 states comply with the law, which in addition to requiring specific forms of identification also requires states to store copies of the identification they receive when issuing licenses. Another 24, including Oregon, do not.

In fact, in 2009 the Oregon Legislature approved a measure that specifically barred the state from implementing Real ID unless the federal government paid for it. Some lawmakers supported the ban because no federal money was attached to pay for implementation; groups like the Oregon chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union opposed it because of the requirement to copy and store documents that would be used in a 50-state database.

Although the Department of Homeland Security has willingly granted waivers to the law so long as states were making progress toward implementation, that’s apparently about to end. Oregon’s most recent waiver extends only six months to mid-June, and while the state says it will again seek a waiver then, there’s no guarantee it will be approved. Moreover, Homeland Security officials say, there will be no extensions beyond Oct. 1, 2020.

If Oregon licenses were no longer valid for air travel, it would be a burden for the thousands of Oregonians who get on airplanes each day. It would be a similar burden on those visiting federal courthouses and most other federal facilities. People would be forced to obtain passports (upward of $100 for a first-timer), passport cards (only $30), or some other form of acceptable identification to fly or enter federal facilities.

The Legislature knows about the problem and the looming deadline — the Department of Motor Vehicles reports to lawmakers every year, and the state’s Real ID status is part of that report. Now lawmakers must correct the problem. They should repeal the 2009 ban and give the Department of Motor Vehicles the $3 million or less it needs each year to put the law in place.