U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced legislation this week that would repeal a federal mandate for states to share citizens’ personal data.
The Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 would effectively eliminate the Real ID across the country. If passed the bill would repeal the federal mandate requiring states to redesign their driver’s licenses to meet federal standards. Paul said the legislation would eliminate the implementation of a de facto national identification mandate.
“REAL ID is effectively creating a national ID card with no limit on the personal information being shared between all 50 states, the District of Columbia, possessions, and territories,” Paul said. “My bill repeals this dangerous mandate and restores the privacy, due process, and First Amendment rights stripped away in 2005. The government should not have a dossier on every American. You should never have to ‘show your papers’ to travel freely within your own country or enter a building your tax dollars paid for.”
REAL ID requires states to adopt uniform federal standards for driver’s licenses and IDs, and embed machine-readable technology into the IDs. Additionally, the licenses require citizens to provide layers of proof of identity, a Social Security number, proof of residency, proof of lawful presence and, in some cases, proof of name change. The documents are then stored and can be shared across state databases. REAL IDs can be used to board commercial flights, enter federal buildings and access other federally controlled spaces. Paul said the licenses function as a domestic passport that conditions basic rights like travel and petitioning one’s government upon government approval.
“The Safeguarding Personal Information Act of 2025 repeals the de facto national identification mandate in full, restoring the right of every American to move freely, speak freely, and live without government intrusion,” Paul’s office said in a statement.