Washington denied REAL ID deadline extension

OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — The federal government has denied Washington state an extension from the enforcement of tougher federal requirements for state driver's licenses and ID cards.

Those requirements require proof of legal U.S. residency for holders who want to use them to access certain areas of federal buildings and, eventually, to board a commercial flight.

The letter from the Department of Homeland Security, obtained by The Associated Press, was sent Monday to the state Department of Licensing notifying of them of the decision.

The department said that the state will be given a three-month grace period before its current extension, issued earlier this year, expires.

The federal REAL ID Act, passed in 2005, requires proof of U.S. citizenship or proof of lawful status in the U.S. in order for a license to be valid for federal use.