To meet the REAL ID requirement that licenses be "machine readable," DHS recommends the use of 2D bar codes, the technology that most states already use to make secure cards at a reasonable cost. No state currently uses RFID, an automatic identification method that relies on storing and remotely retrieving data using radio waves.
CAGW has released two reports, "Real ID: Big Brother Could Cost Big Money" and "Border Security: PASS Card Fails on Cost, Privacy" criticizing RFID-based identification. The group claims the total cost of issuing new licenses with RFID chips could reach $17.4 billion and the average cost of a license would shoot from between $10 to $20 to more than $93. In contrast, the National Conference of State Legislatures estimated that it would cost $9 to $13 billion to implement REAL ID Act regulations based on current licensing techniques. RFID also threatens privacy, said CAGW in a release, raising the possibility of identity thieves remotely accessing their victims' personal information with a hand-held scanner.
