New Mexico to accept tribal documents for REAL ID

CROWNPOINT, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico will now accept certain Native American tribal documents to obtain a state's driver's license with federal REAL ID requirements. The Daily Times of Farmington reports New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division said last week it will accept a Certificate of Indian Blood and an affidavit of birth issued by the Navajo Nation Office of Vital Records instead of a birth certificate. Tribal and state officials announced the changes at a town hall meeting in Crownpoint, New Mexico. The REAL ID Act requires proof of legal U.S. residency for those who want to use state identification to access certain areas of federal facilities or board flights. State lawmakers revised New Mexico's driver licenses bill last year after pressure from the Obama Administration.