ow we prove our identity and when we should have to prove our identity are highly contentious but necessary questions; as a society, we need to try to find a balance between the need for public safety and individual privacy. Interestingly, many of our attempts to safeguard the public have resulted in close ties between identification and transportation, largely because most individuals in the United States use a driver’s license as their primary form of state-issued ID.

Last month marked the implementation of the REAL ID program after years of planning and delay after delay; it sets standards for the ID cards that people can use to access certain federal facilities, enter nuclear power plants, and—significant to Alaskans—board federally regulated commercial aircraft.

If you don’t currently have a REAL ID or passport and intend to fly, the multiple grace periods are over; it’s time to get real (haha).

The REAL ID Act passed Congress in 2005 and initially aimed to take effect in 2008. However late, the intention of the 2005 act is still important: improving public safety and security through establishing nationwide minimum standards for license issuance and production.

On the other side of the scale, this year the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles launched an ID program to enhance privacy: the mobile identification card (mID). As explained in the article “Identity Opportunity,” mID is a voluntary initiative to allow Alaskans more control over what information they provide to individuals and organizations.

For example, if a thirsty fairgoer and a beer garden vendor both participate in the mID program, the vendor can verify that the fair-goer in question is over the age of 21 through an app without needing to see a driver’s license or state-issued ID that also displays the fair-goer’s address, birth date, or other personal information. Commerce can proceed, and essential, private information need not be turned over to a stranger.

As transportation has evolved over the last century, so too has transportation safety—and how we define safety. Adding seatbelts, controlling carbon emissions, and making sure everyone on an airplane is identified correctly are all part of the complex tapestry of how we stay safe while moving around Alaska and the world.