Washington State Statutes - Washington Attorney Directory

(1) No later than January 1, 2006, the department shall implement a voluntary biometric matching system for driver's licenses and identicards. The biometric matching system shall be used only to verify the identity of an applicant for a renewal or duplicate driver's license or identicard by matching a biometric identifier submitted by the applicant against the biometric identifier submitted when the license was last issued. This project requires a full review by the information services board using the criteria for projects of the highest visibility and risk.

     (2) The biometric matching system selected by the department shall be capable of highly accurate matching, and shall be compliant with biometric standards established by the American association of motor vehicle administrators.

     (3) The biometric matching system selected by the department must incorporate a process that allows the owner of a driver's license or identicard to present a personal identification number or other code along with the driver's license or identicard before the information may be verified by a third party.

     (4) Upon the establishment of a biometric driver's license and identicard system as described in this section, the department shall allow every person applying for an original, renewal, or duplicate driver's license or identicard to voluntarily submit a biometric identifier. Each applicant shall be informed of all ways in which the biometric identifier may be used, all parties to whom the identifier may be disclosed and the conditions of disclosure, the expected error rates for the biometric matching system which shall be regularly updated as the technology changes or empirical data is collected, and the potential consequences of those errors. The department shall adopt rules to allow applicants to verify the accuracy of the system at the time that biometric information is submitted, including the use of at least two separate devices.

     (5) The department may not disclose biometric information to the public or any governmental entity except when authorized by court order.

     (6) All biometric information shall be stored with appropriate safeguards, including but not limited to encryption.

     (7) The department shall develop procedures to handle instances in which the biometric matching system fails to verify the identity of an applicant for a renewal or duplicate driver's license or identicard. These procedures shall allow an applicant to prove identity without using a biometric identifier.

     (8) Any person who has voluntarily submitted a biometric identifier may choose to discontinue participation in the biometric matching program at any time, provided that the department utilizes a secure procedure to prevent fraudulent requests for a renewal or duplicate driver's license or identicard. When the person discontinues participation, any previously collected biometric information shall be destroyed.

     (9) If *Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill No. 5428 or House Bill No. 1681 is enacted into law, this section does not apply when an applicant renews his or her driver's license or identicard by mail or electronic commerce.

[2004 c 273 § 3.]

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